Environmental impact assessment of nanoparticles and nano-enabled products using LCA frameworks

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20212409

Forecasts show rapid expansion of the nanotechnology industry, with a global annual growth rate of more than 20% through this decade. Despite the performance benefits of using engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) for various applications, the environmental and health implications are not yet fully understood. Uncertainties still exist regarding potential nanomaterial emissions, their fate and transport in the environment, the human or environmental exposure and effects, and their relationship to particle specific characteristics. To address the environmental concerns, this research developed and applied life cycle assessment (LCA) models to evaluate ENMs and nano-enabled products.