Research Capabilities
Nanomaterial Fate, Transport and Transformation in a Freshwater Mesocosm
Fundamental information about the measurement, fate, transport and transformation of silver nanoparticles in a riverine environment will provide information about their potential risk to human and ecological health.
The fate of nanoparticles in riverine systems is not well understood. Preliminarily studies have shown that some nanomaterials aggregate over time in Columbia River water and through biological activity. Aggregated nanoparticles could be more recalcitrant in the environment than the nano-sized material, but there is the potential that the processes associated with aggregating the materials may create other hazards and risks within the freshwater system. This research will provide fundamental information about the measurement, fate, transport, and transformation of silver nanoparticles in Columbia River water. A phased approach will be used to evaluate the behavior of the silver nanoparticles in static systems, and then a freshwater, bench-scale mesocosm will be used to simulate the release and transport of the nanoparticles and their interaction with biota. Information from each phase of the study will be used to build a predictive, mechanistic transport model of nanomaterials in freshwater. The expected outcomes from this proposal include the chemical and compositional changes of silver nanoparticles in freshwater as well as a fate and transport model of the silver nanoparticles in a riverine environment. These outcomes will address fundamental questions about the release of nanomaterials into the environment and their potential risk to human and ecological health.