Exposure and environmental impact during the life cycle of manufactured nanomaterials

Melanie Auffan (1) , Perrine Chaurand (1) , Céline Botta (1) , Jérôme Labille (1) , Armand Masion (1) , Jean-Yves Bottero (1, 2) , Jérôme Rose (1)

1 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
2 International Consortium for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (iCEINT), Aix en Provence, France

Exposure and environmental impact during the life cycle of manufactured nanomaterials The current and foreseen applications of manufactured nanomaterials embrace a wide range of technological domains. The release of nanoparticles from these nanomaterials in natural waters remains poorly investigated. However, such an environmental contamination will directly or indirectly (through trophic transfers) exposes the organisms to nanoparticles. Today, all nano-ecotoxicological studies performed towards organisms show that it is impossible to study the impacts of nanomaterials all along their life cycle with a case-by-case approach. Consequently, it is necessary to anticipate the risk related to these new materials and to develop a new generation of safer by design nanomaterials from the earliest production stages of nanoparticles, to their formulation, their incorporation in the final product, the use of this product, and also to their end of life (recycling, disposal).

Domains: Environmental Sciences; Environmental and Society; Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Continental interfaces, environment

Melanie Auffan, Perrine Chaurand, Céline Botta, Jérôme Labille, Armand Masion, et al.. Exposure and environmental impact during the life cycle of manufactured nanomaterials. L'Actualité Chimique, 2012, 367, pp.59-62. ⟨hal-01519535⟩