Characterisation of Engineered Nanomaterials in Nano-Enabled Products Exhibiting Priority Environmental Exposure

Analytical limitations have constrained the determination of nanopollution character from real-world sources such as nano-enabled products (NEPs), thus hindering the development of environmental safety guidelines for engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). This study examined the properties of ENMs in 18 c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Raisibe Florence Lehutso, Yolanda Tancu, Arjun Maity, Melusi Thwala
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/5/1370
Description
Summary:Analytical limitations have constrained the determination of nanopollution character from real-world sources such as nano-enabled products (NEPs), thus hindering the development of environmental safety guidelines for engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). This study examined the properties of ENMs in 18 commercial products: sunscreens, personal care products, clothing, and paints—products exhibiting medium to a high potential for environmental nanopollution. It was found that 17 of the products contained ENMs; 9, 3, 3, and 2 were incorporated with nTiO<sub>2</sub>, nAg, binaries of nZnO + nTiO<sub>2</sub>, and nTiO<sub>2</sub> + nAg, respectively. Commonly, the nTiO<sub>2</sub> were elongated or angular, whereas nAg and nZnO were near-spherical and angular in morphology, respectively. The size ranges (width × length) were 7–48 × 14–200, 34–35 × 37–38, and 18–28 nm for nTiO<sub>2</sub>, nZnO, and nAg respectively. All ENMs were negatively charged. The total concentration of Ti, Zn, and Ag in the NEPs were 2.3 × 10<sup>−4</sup>–4.3%, 3.4–4.3%, and 1.0 × 10<sup>−4</sup>–11.3 × 10<sup>−3</sup>%, respectively. The study determined some key ENM characteristics required for environmental risk assessment; however, challenges persist regarding the accurate determination of the concentration in NEPs. Overall, the study confirmed NEPs as actual sources of nanopollution; hence, scenario-specific efforts are recommended to quantify their loads into water resources.
ISSN:1420-3049