(ENVIRON) Quantifying particle number and specific surface area (SSA) of manufactured nanoparticles

纳米科学和纳米技术关注的是纳米尺度，通常被定义为1到100纳米之间的尺寸。纳米粒子（NP）和其他纳米材料（NMs）的合成和使用是纳米技术的重要组成部分，正如英国皇家学会、英国皇家工程院和英国皇家环境污染委员会（http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm; http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm）最近的报告所详述的那样，纳米材料的使用显然在能源、医疗保健和其他领域具有许多经济、环境和社会效益。然而，国家有害物质的使用，特别是目前正在发生和预计将来会大规模使用，已引起上述报告以及欧盟SCENIHR等其他报告（http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scenihr/docs/scenihr_o_012.pdf）和更广泛的人对其人类和环境健康影响的严重关切。理想情况下，我们需要充分利用纳米技术的好处，同时确保环境不会受到不利影响。了解和量化纳米颗粒的环境影响需要了解相关纳米颗粒的物理化学性质。与本项目特别相关的是，表征NP浓度（质量，表面积颗粒数）的适当指标受到质疑，并且认识到用于常规化学品的质量浓度可能不合适。在NP研究中使用适当的度量标准是一个重要的政策问题；在英国政府（DEFRA的NRCG http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/nanotech/research/pdf/nanoparticles-riskreport07.pdf）制定的19个研究目标（ROs）中，其中一个是：确定最合适的指标和合适的方法来测量和表征NPs。这项建议具有科学和政策/监管的重要性，并将寻求定义和测试一些适当的方法来量化这两个指标。目的1)对颗粒数浓度进行定量比较研究。2)探讨液体中NPs的SSA测定方法。3)将数字和SSA技术应用于复杂介质中的NMs。

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are concerned with the nanoscale which is usually defined as being between 1 and 100 nm in size. The synthesis and use of nanoparticle (NP) and other nanomaterials (NMs) are significant parts of nanotechnology and there are clearly many economic, environmental and social benefits from the use of NMs as detailed in recent reports from Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Commission for Environmental Pollution (http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm; http://www.nanotec.org.uk/finalReport.htm) in energy, in healthcare and in other sectors. However, use of NPs, particularly on the vast scale at which is currently occurring and projected for the future, has led to significant concerns about their human and environmental health effects from the reports mentioned and from others such as the EU SCENIHR (http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_scenihr/docs/scenihr_o_012.pdf) and more widely. Ideally, we require full exploitation of the benefits of nanotechnology while ensuring the environment is not adversely affected. Understanding and quantifying the environmental effects of NMs requires understanding the physico-chemical properties of relevant NPs. Of particular relevance for this project, the appropriate metrics for characterising NP concentration (mass, particle number of surface area) has been questioned and it is recognised that the mass concentration used for conventional chemicals may be inappropriate. The appropriate metrics to use in NP studies is an important policy issue; of the 19 Research Objectives (ROs) produced by the UK government (DEFRA's NRCG http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/nanotech/research/pdf/nanoparticles-riskreport07.pdf), one is: To identify the most appropriate metrics and appropriate methods for the measurement and characterisation of NPs. This proposal is of both scientific and policy/regulatory importance and will seek to define and test some of the appropriate methods to quantify these two metrics. Objectives 1) To perform a comparative study to quantify particle number concentration. 2) To investigate SSA measurement methods for NPs in liquid. 3) To apply number and SSA techniques to NMs in complex media.