Understanding Toxicity of Nanomaterials in Biological Systems

Nanotechnology is a growing applied science having considerable global socioeconomic value. Nanoscale materials are casting their impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. A wide range of engineered nanoscale products has emerged with widespread applications in fields such as energy, medicine, electronics, plastics, energy and aerospace etc. While the market for nanotechnology products will have grown over one trillion US dollars by 2015, the presence of these material is likely to increase leading to increasing likelihood of exposure. The direct use of nanomaterials in humans for medical and cosmetic purposes dictates vigorous safety assessment of toxicity. Therefore this book chapter provides the detailed toxicity assessment of various types of nanomaterials.

Control of Perishable Goods in Cold Logistic Chains by Bionanosensors

Nanotechnology can contribute to food security in supply chains of agri production-consumption systems. The unique properties of nanoparticles have stimulated the increasing interest in their application as biosensing. Biosensing devices are designed for the biological recognition of events and signal transduction. Many types of nanoparticles can be used as biosensors, but gold nanoparticles have sparked most interest. In the work presented here, we will address the problem of fruit and vegetable decay and rotting during transportation and storage, which could be easily generalized also onto post-harvest loss prevention in general. During the process of rotting, different compounds, including different gasses, are released into the environment. The application of sensitive bionanosensors in the storage/transport containers can detect any changes due to fruit and vegetable decay and transduce the signal. The goal of this is to reduce the logistics cost for this items. Therefore, our approach requires a multidisciplinary and an interdisciplinary approach in science and technology. The cold supply chain is namely a science, a technology and a process which combines applied bio-nanotechnology, innovations in the industrial engineering of cooling processes including sensors for temperature and humidity measurements, transportation, and applied mathematics. It is a science, since it requires the understanding of chemical and biological processes linked to perishability and the systems theory which enables the developing of a theoretical framework for the control of systems with perturbed time-lags. Secondly, it is a technology developed in engineering which relies on the physical means to assure appropriate temperature conditions along the CSC and, thirdly, it is also a process, since a series of tasks must be performed to prepare, store, and transport the cargo as well as monitor the temperature and humidity of sensitive cargo and give proper feedback control, as it will be outlined in this chapter. Therefore, we shall discuss how to break the silos of separated knowledge to build an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary science of post-harvest loss prevention. Considering the sensors as floating activity cells, modelled as floating nodes, in a graph of such a system, an extended Material Requirement Planning (MRP) theory will be described which will make it possible to determine the optimal feedback control in post-harvest loss prevention, based on bionanosensors. Therefore, we present also a model how to use nanotechnology from the packaging facility to the final retail. Any changes in time, distance, humidity or temperature in the chain could cause the Net Present Value (NPV) of the activities and their added value in the supply chain to be perturbed, as presented in the subchapter. In this chapter we give the answers to the questions, how to measure the effects of some perturbations in a supply chain on the stability of perishable agricultural goods in such systems and how nanotechnology can contribute with the appropriate packaging and control which preserves the required level of quality and quantity of the product at the final delivery. The presented model will not include multicriteria optimization but will stay at the NPV approach. But the annuity stream achieved by improved sensing and feedback control could be easily combined with environmental and medical/health criteria. An interdisciplinary perspective of industrial engineering and management demonstrates how the development of creative ideas born in separate research fields can be liaised into an innovative design of smart control devices and their installation in trucks and warehouses. These innovative technologies could contribute to an increase in the NPV of activities in the supply chains of perishable goods in general.

Ecotoxicity Effects of Nanomaterials on Aquatic Organisms

The increasing production and use of engineered nanomaterials raise concerns about inadvertent exposure and the potential for adverse effects on the aquatic environment. The aim of this chapter is focused on studies of nanotoxicity in different models of aquatic organisms and their impact. Moreover, the chapter provides an overview of nanoparticles, their applications, and the potential nanoparticle-induced toxicity in aquatic organisms. The topics discussed in this chapter are the physicochemical characteristic of nanomaterials (size, aggregation, morphology, surface charge, reactivity, dissolution, etc.) and their influence on toxicity. Further, the text discusses the direct effect of nanomaterials on development stage (embryonic and adult) in aquatic organisms, the mechanism of action as well as the toxicity data of nanomaterials in different species.f action as well as the toxicity data of nanomaterials in different species.

In-Situ Oxidative Degradation of Emerging Contaminants in Soil and Groundwater Using a New Class of Stabilized MnO2 Nanoparticles

Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) such as steroidal estrogen hormones are of growing concern in recent years, as trace concentrations of these hormones can cause adverse effects on the environmental and human health. While these hormones have been widely detected in soil and groundwater, effective technology has been lacking for in-situ degradation of these contaminants. This chapter illustrates a new class of stabilized MnO2 nanoparticles and a new in-situ technology for oxidative degradation of EOCs in soil and groundwater. The stabilized nanoparticles were prepared using a low-cost, food-grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer. The nanoparticles were then characterized and tested for their effectiveness for degradation of both aqueous and soil-sorbed E2 (17ß-estradiol). Column tests confirmed the effectiveness of the nanoparticles for in-situ remediation of soil sorbed E2. The nanoparticle treatment decreased both water leachable and soil-sorbed E2, offering a useful alternative for in-situ remediation of EOCs in the subsurface.

Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Water and Wastewater Using Nanofiltration Technology

Conventional water/wastewater treatment methods are incapable of removing the majority of Emerging Contaminants (ECs) and a large amount of them and their metabolites are ultimately released to the aquatic environment or drinking water distribution networks. Recently, nanofiltration, a high pressure membrane filtration process, has shown to be superior to other conventional filtration methods, in terms of effluent quality, easy operation and maintenance procedures, low cost, and small required operational space. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the most relevant works available in literature reporting the use of nanofiltration for the removal of emerging contaminants from water and wastewater. The fundamental knowledge of nanofiltration such as separation mechanisms, characterization of nanofiltration membranes, and predictive modeling has also been introduced. The literature review has shown that nanofiltration is a promising tool to treat ECs in environmental cleaning and water purification processes.

Nanotechnology for Filtration-Based Point-of-Use Water Treatment

With significant infrastructure investments required for centralized water treatment, in home treatment technologies, known as point-of-use, have become a popular solution in the developing world. This review discusses current filtration-based point-of-use water treatment technologies in three major categories: ceramics, papers and textiles. Each of these categories has used silver for added antimicrobial effectiveness. Ceramics have had the most development and market infiltration, while filter papers are a new development. Textiles show promise for future research as a cheap, socially acceptable, and effective method. Also, a new method of silver incorporation in ceramics is explored.

Hybrid Plasmonic Nanostructures

Plasmonic hybrid nanostructure including Semiconductor-metallic nanoparticles, and graphene-plasmonic nanocomposites have great potential to be used as photocatalyst for hydrogen production and for photodegradation of organic waste. Also, they are potential candidate as active materials in photovoltaic devices. Plasmonic-magnetic nanocomposites could be used in photothermal therapy and biomedical imaging. This chapter will focus on the environmental impact of these materials and their in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity. In addition, the applications of these hybrid nanostructures in energy and environment will be discussed in details.

Hybrid Nanostructures

The recent extensive interest of nanostructure materials associated with their unique properties is motivated to develop new hybrid nanocomposites that couple two nano-components together in the form of Core/Shell, nanoalloys, and doped nanostructures. Hybrid nanostructure provides another opportunity for tuning the physical and chemical properties at the nanoscale. This opens the door for the discovery of new properties and potential for more applications. This chapter is devoted to present, and discuss the recent advances and progress relevance for Plasmonic hybrid nanocomposites. In addition, literature reviewed on different attempts to obtain high quality plasmonic nanocomposites via chemical routes, and their physico-chemical aspects for this class of novel nanomaterials. The authors presented their recent published work regarding Plasmonic hybrid nanostructure regarding plasmonic-semiconductor, plasmonic magnetic and plasmonic graphene nanocomposites.

Long-Term Performance Evaluation of Groundwater Chlorinated Solvents Remediation Using Nanoscale Emulsified Zerovalent Iron at a Superfund Site

This chapter addresses a case study of long-term assessment of a field application of environmental nanotechnology. Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) contaminants such as Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and Trichloroethene (TCE) are a type of recalcitrant compounds commonly found at contaminated sites. Recent research has focused on their remediation using environmental nanotechnology in which nanomaterials such as nanoscale Emulsified Zerovalent Iron (EZVI) are added to the subsurface environment to enhance contaminant degradation. Such nanoremediation approach may be mostly applicable to the source zone where the contaminant mass is the greatest and source removal is a critical step in controlling the further spreading of the groundwater plume. Compared to micro-scale and granular counterparts, NZVI exhibits greater degradation rates due to its greater surface area and reactivity from its faster corrosion. While NZVI shows promise in both laboratory and field tests, limited information is available about the long-term effectiveness of nanoremediation because previous field tests are mostly less than two years. Here an update is provided for a six-year performance evaluation of EZVI for treating PCE and its daughter products at a Superfund site at Parris Island, South Carolina, USA. The field test consisted of two side-by-side treatment plots to remedy a shallow PCE source zone (less than 6 m below ground surface) using pneumatic injection and direct injection, separately in October 2006. For the pneumatic injections, a two-step injection procedure was used. First, the formation was fluidized by the injection of nitrogen gas alone, followed by injection of the EZVI with nitrogen gas as the carrier. In the pneumatic injection plot, 2,180 liters of EZVI containing 225 kg of iron (Toda RNIP-10DS), 856 kg of corn oil, and 22.5 kg of surfactant were injected to remedy an estimated 38 kg of chlorinated volatile compounds (CVOC)s. Direct injections were performed using a direct push rig. In the direct injection plot, 572 liters of EZVI were injected to treat an estimated 0.155 kg of CVOCs. Visual inspection of collected soil cores before and after EZVI injections shows that the travel distance of EZVI was dependent on the method of delivery with pneumatic injection achieving a greater distance of 2.1 m than did direct injection reaching a distance of 0.89 m. Significant decreases in PCE and TCE concentrations were observed in downgradient wells with corresponding increases in degradation products including significant increases in ethene. In the pneumatic injection plot, there were significant reductions in the downgradient groundwater mass flux values for chlorinated ethenes (>58%) and a significant increase in the mass flux of ethene (628%). There were significant reductions in total CVOCs mass (78%), which was less than an estimated 86% decrease in total CVOCs made at 2.5 years due to variations in soil cores collected for CVOCs extraction and determination; an estimated reduction of 23% (vs.63% at 2.5 years) in the sorbed and dissolved phases and 95% (vs. 93% at 2.5 years) reduction in the PCE DNAPL mass. Significant increases in dissolved sulfide, volatile fatty acids (VFA), and total organic carbon (TOC) were observed and dissolved sulfate and pH decreased in many monitoring wells. The apparent effective destruction of CVOC was accomplished by a combination of abiotic dechlorination by nanoiron and biological reductive dechlorination stimulated by the oil in the emulsion. No adverse effects of EZVI were observed for the microbes. In contrast, populations of dehalococcoides showed an increase up to 10,000 fold after EZVI injection. The dechlorination reactions were sustained for the six-year period from a single EZVI delivery. Repeated EZVI injections four to six years apart may be cost-effective to more completely remove the source zone contaminant mass. Overall, the advantages of the EZVI technology include an effective “one-two punch” of rapid abiotic dechlorination followed by a sustained biodegradation; contaminants are destroyed rather than transferred to another medium; ability to treat both DNAPL source zones and dissolved-phase contaminants to contain plume migration; ability to deliver reactants to targeted zones not readily accessible by conventional permeable reactive barriers; and potential for lower overall costs relative to alternative technologies such as groundwater pump-and-treat with high operation and maintenance costs or thermal technologies with high capital costs. The main limitations of the EZVI technology are difficulty in effectively distributing the viscous EZVI to all areas impacted with DNAPL; potential decrease in hydraulic conductivity due to iron corrosion products buildup or biofouling; potential to adversely impact secondary groundwater quality through mobilization of metals and production of sulfides or methane; injection of EZVI may displace DNAPL away from the injection point; and repeated injections may be required to completely destroy the contaminants.

Ecotoxicity and Toxicity of Nanomaterials with Potential for Wastewater Treatment Applications

Nanotechnology holds the promise of develop new processes for wastewater treatment. However, it is important to understand what the possible impacts on the environment of NMs. This study joins all the information available about the toxicity and ecotoxicity of NMs to human cell lines and to terrestrial and aquatic biota. Terrestrial species seems more protected, since effects are being recorded for concentrations higher than those that could be expected in the environment. The soil matrix is apparently trapping and filtering NMs. Further studies should focus more on indirect effects in biological communities rather than only on effects at the individual level. Aquatic biota, mainly from freshwater ecosystems, seemed to be at higher risk, since dose effect concentrations recorded were remarkable lower, at least for some NMs. The toxic effects recorded on different culture lines, also give rise to serious concerns regarding the potential effects on human health. However, few data exists about environmental concentrations to support the calculation of risks to ecosystems and humans.