Understanding the environmental behaviour and biological impacts of manufactured nanoparticles in natural aquatic systems

纳米粒子是一种固体材料，尺寸在1到100纳米之间（1纳米是10亿分之一米）。这种大小的颗粒存在于天然水中，是由风化和微生物活动等过程产生的（天然纳米颗粒）。它们包括腐殖质、多糖、金属氧化物、病毒和其他相。此外，这些大小的颗粒现在是由人类活动产生的，包括富勒烯和纳米管（人造纳米颗粒）等化合物，它们在工业上有许多用途，包括生产防污织物、更高效的计算机组件、具有增强渗透能力的皮肤乳液，以及作为清理受污染土地的工具。目前，欧洲、日本、美国和其他地方正在花费数十亿英镑研究和制造这些纳米颗粒。然而，人们对它们的环境行为或影响几乎一无所知。一些人造纳米颗粒被证明进入动物肺部后会对动物产生毒性作用，但对生活在水生环境中的动物几乎没有影响。人造纳米颗粒作为毒素或微量污染物的载体在天然水域中可能有害，但是它们的行为（例如它们在鱼类中的吸收和毒性）将通过天然纳米颗粒与它们相互作用的方式被改变。该项目将寻求解决这些相互作用，并评估对人造纳米颗粒在自然水域中的命运和行为的影响。它将产生关于人造纳米颗粒对水生环境潜在影响的第一批数据。

Nanoparticles are solid material with sizes between 1 and 100 nm (1 nm is 1000 millionth of a metre). Particles of this size exist in natural waters and are produced by processes such as weathering and microbial activity (natural nanoparticles). They include humic substances, polysaccharides, metal oxides, viruses and other phases. In addition, these sizes of particles are now produced by human activity and include compounds such as fullerenes and nanotubes (manufactured nanoparticles) that have many uses in industry, including in the production of stain-proof fabrics, more efficient computer components, skin lotions with enhanced penetration capabilities, and as tools to clean up contaminated land. Billions of pounds are currently being spent in Europe, Japan, the USA and elsewhere in the research and manufacture of these nanoparticles. However, almost nothing is known about their environmental behaviour or impacts. Some manufactured nanoparticles have been shown to induce toxic effects in animals when taken into the lungs, but almost nothing about effects on animals living in the aquatic environment. Manufactured nanoparticles are potentially harmful in natural waters as toxins or carriers of trace pollutants, but their behaviour (e.g. their uptake and toxicity in fish) will be modified by the way in which natural nanoparticles interact with them. This project will seek to address these interactions and assess the impact on manufactured nanoparticle fate and behaviour in natural waters. It will produce the first data on the potential impact of manufactured nanoparticles on the aquatic environment.