Bioavailability of engineered nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are small (1-100 nm), generally reactive materials for which there is currently little consensus on their biological availability. In order to accurately evaluate the risk of nanoparticulate (NP) forms of metals, it is essential to quantify their dissolution, agglomeration and transformations in the systems of interest (e.g. both environmental and biological media). Given the low concentrations of NP in the natural environment and their numerous interactions with complex environmental matrices, resolution of this problem requires both analytical developments and systematic studies of ENM bioavailability. Much of our work has focused on measurements of bioaccumulation and the use of genomic and proteomic biomarkers of ENM effects.

This content has been updated on 18 April 2023 at 14 h 56 min.