Themed collection Recent Open Access Articles

We propose to include the time-dependent size distribution of dispersed and internalized nanoparticles (NPs) in the ecotoxicological evaluation of exposure of biota to NPs and to develop tools to add the particle dynamics in the bioavailability modelling of NPs.

The scientific community has invested effort into standardising methodologies for the regulatory ecotoxicity testing of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), but the practical requirements for bioaccumulation testing of ENMs have been given less attention.

This frontier reviews impressive progresses of nano-enabled solar-driven water evaporation and clean water production made in the past 4 years.

Design and engineering of metal–organic frameworks for the adsorption/degradation of inorganic toxic gases, organic vapors and particulate matter.

Quantification of the uptake and elimination of nanomaterials (NMs) by organisms is key in assessing the environmental risks of NMs.

Environmental transformations of natural and engineered carbon nanoparticles significantly affect their fate, transport, and interactions with organic contaminants.

In silico methods provide an alternative and reliable route for the toxicity evaluation of metal oxide nanoparticles.

Characterization of carbon nanotube dispersions requires measurement of both, concentration and surface area.

Different plant species respond differently to nCeO₂ under different culturing conditions: for some, deficiency of P enhances the accumulation of Ce (mainly Ce³⁺) and phytotoxicity.

Proteins encountered in biological and environmental systems bind to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to form a protein corona (PC) that alters the surface chemistry, reactivity, and fate of the ENMs.

Silver nanoparticles are known to have profounds effects on living cells, but little is known on how and to which extent cells recover after an acute exposure to silver nanoparticles. This is studied on macrophages in this work.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a biocidal nanomaterial, but is it also anti-adhesive? Here we show that GO-based coatings exhibiting low bacterial adhesion properties can be formed by edge-tethering GO nanosheets to hydrophilic polymer brushes.

This article provides a bird's-eye-view of the status and scale of commercialized and nascent nanotechnologies in the context of global element cycles to prioritize and guide relevant environmental health research.

Quantitative environmental risk assessment of nanocellulose, using a dynamic and probabilistic modelling approach. Results show low risk, contributing towards the safe development of this material.

Overall, fish showed more Ag accumulation from AgNO₃ and Ag NP exposures compared to the Ag₂S NP treatment.

Repeated exposure to E171 or TiO₂-NPs, in vitro, induce moderate inflammation and mucus secretion in intestinal cells.

Nanoparticle dissolution in local milieu can affect its ecotoxicity and therapeutic applications.

Micro- and nanomaterials can i) reduce cement consumption in concrete, ii) improve durability of cement-based constructions and iii) modulate particle release.

Highlighted are the protein properties determining protein binding to the silver nanoparticle surface.

Schematic presentation of the conceptual approach used to study trophic transfer of CuO NPs and dissolved Cu (CuCl₂) from sediment to worms (T. tubifex), and from worms (T. tubifex) to fish (three-spined stickleback).

The uptake of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) by the gut of fishes is poorly understood.

A safer by design approach is demonstrated for the synthesis and integration of silver nanowires into commercial devices.

Nanoconfinement of CO₂ in layered aluminosilicates contributes to the capture and release of this greenhouse gas in soils.

The morphology of TiO₂ particles and their status within soil aggregates may provide insights on their origin.

A green method for the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) trigonal selenium (t-Se) nanostructures is presented.

Nanoparticle (NP) aggregation is typically investigated in either quiescent or turbulent mixing conditions; neither is fully representative of dynamic natural environments.

Interviews conducted with 66 experts to gather their perspectives on environmental risks from nanomedicines and their responses analysed using qualitative content analysis.

We investigate the effectiveness of two promising paradigms (i.e. dissolution and bandgap) to predict the toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in vivo and under seawater conditions.

A key hypothesis in nanosafety assessment is that the NP core chemistry and eco-corona are primary factors controlling toxicity.

The acidic properties of GO impair pollen performances of tobacco and hazel plants.

Investigation of changes in manufactured nanomaterial properties (i.e. redox, capping efficiency, aggregation, dissolution) with temperature as a proxy for time.

This study compares the effect of nanoscale and microscale zerovalent iron on natural freshwater microplankton over 21 days.

A lot of research efforts are currently dedicated to the development of nano-enabled agrochemicals. It is thus urgent to develop suitable strategies for their ecological assessment.

Sodium content and suspension pH control crystallite size and aggregation in δ-MnO₂ nanoparticles.

The combination of emission and fate modelling improves the exposure assessment of engineered nanoparticles in complex urban systems.

Oral exposure to up to 500 mg L⁻¹ nCeO₂ was sublethal for honeybees but altered the cholinergic system and induced other physiological responses.

In this study, a specifically-designed AIEgen was used to quantitatively evaluate the bioaccumulation of Hg²⁺ and visualize Hg²⁺ kinetics in vivo within the rotifer for the first time.

Nanoparticle-containing acrylic polymer dispersions showed virtually no acute aquatic toxicity in fairy shrimp and zebrafish embryos.

The toxicity interaction of wastewater with inorganic nanoparticles led to antagonistic mixtures due to the adsorption of micropollutants.

Quantitative data on nanoparticle and cation uptake are compared in a compartment-specific way and distinct differences between metals were identified.

The development of in silico methods that support human health and environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials is nowadays of high interest, because the application of those methods enables to fill the existing experimental data gaps.

We present investigations on the working principle of a new adsorber for the recycling of phosphate from waste water.