title: Potential release pathways, environmental fate, and ecological risks of carbon nanotubes.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are currently incorporated into various consumer products, and numerous new applications and products containing CNTs are expected in the future. The potential for negative effects caused by CNT release into the environment is a prominent concern and numerous research projects have investigated possible environmental release pathways, fate, and toxicity. However, this expanding body of literature has not yet been systematically reviewed. Our objective is to critically review this literature to identify emerging trends as well as persistent knowledge gaps on these topics. Specifically, we examine the release of CNTs from polymeric products, removal in wastewater treatment systems, transport through surface and subsurface media, aggregation behaviors, interactions with soil and sediment particles, potential transformations and degradation, and their potential ecotoxicity in soil, sediment, and aquatic ecosystems. One major limitation in the current literature is quantifying CNT masses in relevant media (polymers, tissues, soils, and sediments). Important new directions include developing mechanistic models for CNT release from composites and understanding CNT transport in more complex and environmentally realistic systems such as heteroaggregation with natural colloids and transport of nanoparticles in a range of soils.
authors: Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States. Elijah.Petersen@nist.gov
authors: Elijah J
authors: EJ
authors: Petersen
authors: Liwen
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Nikolai T
authors: NT
authors: Mattison
authors: Denis M
authors: DM
authors: O'Carroll
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Whelton
authors: Nasir
authors: N
authors: Uddin
authors: Tinh
authors: T
authors: Nguyen
authors: Qingguo
authors: Q
authors: Huang
authors: Theodore B
authors: TB
authors: Henry
authors: R David
authors: RD
authors: Holbrook
authors: Kai Loon
authors: KL
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D004463:Ecology / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon