Sotiriou Georgios A, Singh Dilpreet, Zhang Fang, Chalbot Marie-Cecile G, Spielman-Sun Eleanor, Hoering Lutz, Kavouras Ilias G, Lowry Gregory V, Wohlleben Wendel, Demokritou Philip
Center for Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
J Hazard Mater. 2016 Mar 15;305:87-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.11.001. Epub 2015 Nov 12.
Nano-enabled products (NEPs) are currently part of our life prompting for detailed investigation of potential nano-release across their life-cycle. Particularly interesting is their end-of-life thermal decomposition scenario. Here, we examine the thermal decomposition of widely used NEPs, namely thermoplastic nanocomposites, and assess the properties of the byproducts (released aerosol and residual ash) and possible environmental health and safety implications. We focus on establishing a fundamental understanding on the effect of thermal decomposition parameters, such as polymer matrix, nanofiller properties, decomposition temperature, on the properties of byproducts using a recently-developed lab-based experimental integrated platform. Our results indicate that thermoplastic polymer matrix strongly influences size and morphology of released aerosol, while there was minimal but detectable nano-release, especially when inorganic nanofillers were used. The chemical composition of the released aerosol was found not to be strongly influenced by the presence of nanofiller at least for the low, industry-relevant loadings assessed here. Furthermore, the morphology and composition of residual ash was found to be strongly influenced by the presence of nanofiller. The findings presented here on thermal decomposition/incineration of NEPs raise important questions and concerns regarding the potential fate and transport of released engineered nanomaterials in environmental media and potential environmental health and safety implications.
纳米产品(NEPs)目前已成为我们生活的一部分,这促使人们对其整个生命周期内潜在的纳米释放进行详细研究。特别值得关注的是它们在寿命终结时的热分解情况。在此,我们研究了广泛使用的纳米产品,即热塑性纳米复合材料的热分解,并评估了副产物(释放的气溶胶和残留灰烬)的性质以及对环境健康和安全可能产生的影响。我们专注于利用最近开发的基于实验室的实验集成平台,从根本上理解热分解参数,如聚合物基体、纳米填料性质、分解温度等,对副产物性质的影响。我们的结果表明,热塑性聚合物基体对释放的气溶胶的尺寸和形态有强烈影响,同时存在少量但可检测到的纳米释放,尤其是在使用无机纳米填料时。至少对于此处评估的与工业相关的低负载量,发现释放的气溶胶的化学成分受纳米填料的存在影响不大。此外,发现残留灰烬的形态和组成受纳米填料的存在强烈影响。这里关于纳米产品热分解/焚烧的研究结果,引发了关于释放的工程纳米材料在环境介质中的潜在归宿和迁移以及对环境健康和安全的潜在影响的重要问题和担忧。
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