American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in... more American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Carbo, Russell County, Virginia (USA), has impaired Clinch River biota through toxic spills in 1967 and 1970, and effluent copper (Cu) concentrations that were reported to have exceeded water quality criteria from 1985-1989. These impacts have provided impetus for many research projects addressing the absence of bivalves, including federally protected species of native mussels (Unionoidea), from sites influenced by CRP effluent. Modifications in CRP effluent during 1987 and 1993 drastically reduced Cu levels and warranted the present study, which assessed long-term biological recovery in Clinch River biota near the CRP. In 2000-2001, surveys of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and instantaneous measures of effluent toxicity did not foretell significant reductions in survivorship and growth of field-caged Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) at sites downstream of the CRP. More importan...
Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2012
Water resource recovery facilities have been described as creating breeding ground conditions for... more Water resource recovery facilities have been described as creating breeding ground conditions for the selection, transfer, and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among various bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of direct addition of antibiotic and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, or nanosilver) on the occurrence of ARGs in thermophilic anaerobic digesters. Test thermophilic digesters were amended with environmentally-relevant concentrations of Ag NP (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg-Ag/L; corresponding to '0.7, 7.0, and 70 mg-Ag/kg total solids) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) that span susceptible to resistant classifications (1, 5, and 50 mg/L) as potential selection pressures for ARGs. Tetracycline (tet(O), tet(W)) and sulfonamide (sulI, sulII) ARGs and the integrase enzyme gene (intI1) associated with Class 1 integrons were measured in raw sludge, test thermophilic digesters, a control thermophilic digester, and a control mesophilic digester. There was no apparent effect of Ag NPs on thermophilic anaerobic digester performance. The maximum SMX addition (50 mg/L) resulted in accumulation of volatile fatty acids and low pH, alkalinity, and volatile solids reduction. There was no significant difference between ARG gene copy numbers (absolute or normalized to 16S rRNA genes) in amended thermophilic digesters and the control thermophilic digester. Antibiotic resistance gene copy numbers in digested sludge ranged from 10 3 to 10 6 copies per lL ('8 3 10 1 to 8 3 10 4 copies per lg) of sludge as result of a 1-log reduction of ARGs (2log reduction for intI1). Quantities of the five ARGs in raw sludge ranged from 10 4 to 10 8 copies per lL ('4 3 10 2 to 4 3 10 6 per lg) of sludge. Test and control thermophilic digesters (53 8C, 12-day solids retention time [SRT]) consistently reduced but did not eliminate levels of all analyzed genes. The mesophilic digester (37 8C, 20-day SRT) also reduced levels of sulI, sulII, and intI1 genes, but levels of tet(O) and tet(W) were the same or higher than in raw sludge. Antibiotic resistance gene reductions remained constant despite the application of selection pressures, which suggests that digester operating conditions are a strong governing factor of the bacterial community composition and thus the prevalence of ARGs. Water Environ. Res., 85, 411 (2013).
Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety: …, 2009
... CHAPTER 7: Nanotechnology Risk Management and Small Business 266 Despite the increased challe... more ... CHAPTER 7: Nanotechnology Risk Management and Small Business 266 Despite the increased challenges facing generators of nanotechnology-based products, generators ultimately remain responsible for both deter-mining and communicating any hazardous properties of ...
American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Car... more American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Carbo, Russell County, Virginia (USA), has impaired Clinch River biota through toxic spills in 1970, and effluent copper (Cu) concentrations that were reported to have exceeded water quality criteria from [1985][1986][1987][1988][1989]. These impacts have provided impetus for many research projects addressing the absence of bivalves, including federally protected species of native mussels (Unionoidea), from sites influenced by CRP effluent. Modifications in CRP effluent during 1987 and 1993 drastically reduced Cu levels and warranted the present study, which assessed long-term biological recovery in Clinch River biota near the CRP. In 2000-2001, surveys of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and instantaneous measures of effluent toxicity did not foretell significant reductions in survivorship and growth of field-caged Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) at sites downstream of the CRP. More importantly, these results indicated renewed toxicity in CRP effluent. Additional transplant studies using two enclosure types were conducted to isolate effects attributable to CRP effluent from the potentially confounding effects of substrate variability among study sites. While it was found that mean growth of clams was greatest in the enclosure that minimized substrate variability (p=0.0157), both enclosure types clearly distinguished significant impairment of survivorship and growth at sites downstream of the CRP discharge, and strengthened the association between impairment and CRP effluent. An intensive field investigation was undertaken to determine whether impairment observed in transplant studies extended to resident bivalves. During 2001-2002, densities and age structures of C. fluminea and distributions of mussels suggested that impairment indeed extended to resident bivalves for a distance of 0.5 to 0.6 km downstream of the CRP discharge. Impairment of bivalves was less evident below (1) a fly ash landfill and (2) coal mining activities and low-volume leachate from a bottom ash settling pond. With respect to longterm recovery, modifications in CRP effluent treatment have reduced Cu concentrations from an average of 436 µg/L in 1985-1989 to 13 µg/L in 1991-2002. Subsequently, Cu body burdens of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) transplanted within CRP influence have decreased from 442% of levels accumulated at reference sites in 1986, to 163% of these levels in 2002. The reduction in effluent Cu largely explains recovery of most benthic macroinvertebrate community parameters (e.g., richness, diversity) at influenced sites from levels that were typically less than 70% of reference levels, to levels that frequently range from 80 to greater than 100% of reference levels. Nevertheless, bivalves remain impaired downstream of the CRP; survivorship and growth of C. fluminea transplanted to CRP-influenced sites have typically been less than 40 and 20% of reference values, respectively. Furthermore, C. fluminea has seldom been encountered within CRP influence for nearly two decades. Likewise, native mussels remain absent within CRP influence, but recent surveys suggest their downstream distributions are more proximate to the CRP discharge than has been reported previously. A preliminary assessment of factors potentially contributing to toxicity revealed that (1) water reclaimed from settling basins for discharge with CRP effluent significantly impaired fecundity of ceriodaphnids at concentrations of 50%, (2) LC 50 values for industrial treatment chemicals were misrepresented on Material Safety Data Sheets and consequently, were subject to misapplication by operators, (3) Cu concentrations of 96 µg/L significantly impaired growth of Asian clams in artificial stream testing, and (4) effluent Al exceeded acute and chronic water quality criteria, suggesting this ion should receive further consideration in future studies.
This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in... more This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in the UK. Currently, relatively few companies in the UK are identifiable as NM manufacturers, the main emphasis being the bulk markets in metals and metal oxides, and some niche markets such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. NM manufacturing in the UK does not reflect the global emphasis on fullerenes, nanotubes and fibres. Some assumptions have been made about the types of NM that are likely to be imported into the UK, which currently include fullerenes, modified fullerenes and other carbon-based NMs including nanotubes. Many university departments, spin-offs and private companies have developed processes for the manufacture of NMs but may only be producing small quantities for research and development (R&D) purposes. However, some have the potential to scale up to produce large quantities. The nanotechnology industry in the UK has strong R&D backup from universities and related institutions. This review has covered R&D trends at such institutions, and appropriate information has been added to a searchable database. While several companies are including NMs in their products, only a few (e.g. manufacturers of paints, coatings, cosmetics, catalysts, polymer composites) are using nanoparticles (NPs) in any significant quantities. However, this situation is likely to change rapidly. There is a need to collect more information about exposure to NPs in both manufacturing and user scenarios. As the market grows, and as manufacturers switch from the micro-to the nanoscale, the potential for exposure will increase. More research is required to quantify any risks to workers and consumers.
Few studies have considered the environmental impacts of impurities and byproducts associated wit... more Few studies have considered the environmental impacts of impurities and byproducts associated with low-efficiency nanomanufacturing processes. Here, we study the composition and aquatic toxicity of low-purity, as-produced fullerenes (C 60 ) and metallofullerene waste solids, both of which were generated via arc-discharge synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) were used to characterize the metals composition of the solid test materials and of aqueous leachates prepared by mixing test materials with waters of varying pH, hardness, and salinity. The aquatic toxicity of the leachates was determined using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended aquatic bioassay protocols with two standard test organisms-Pimephales promelas and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Results indicated that metals associated with the solid test materials became mobilized in our test system upon interaction with waters of circumneutral pH and reached concentrations sufficient to induce toxicity in both test species. Acute (48 h) LC 50 values for P. promelas and C. dubia exposed to leachates prepared from metallofullerene waste solids were 54 and 5% (as % leachate in diluent), respectively. Toxicity was eliminated after adding the chelator EDTA to the leachates, implicating divalent transition metals as the toxicity source. Our results demonstrate the aquatic toxicity of metals mobilized from products and byproducts of nanomanufacturing, and they emphasize the need for a global review of nanomanufacturing wastes and low-purity products.
Mass concentration is the standard convention to express exposure in ecotoxicology for dissolved ... more Mass concentration is the standard convention to express exposure in ecotoxicology for dissolved substances. However, nanotoxicology has challenged the suitability of the mass concentration dose metric. Alternative metrics often discussed in the literature include particle number, surface area, and ion release (kinetics, equilibrium). It is unlikely that any single metric is universally applicable to all types of nanoparticles. However, determining the optimal metric for a specific type of nanoparticle requires novel studies to generate supportive data and employ methods to compensate for current analytical capability gaps. This investigation generated acute toxicity data for two standard species (Ceriodaphnia dubia, Pimephales promelas) exposed to five sizes (10, 20, 30, 60, 100 nm) of monodispersed citrate- and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles. Particles were sized by various techniques to populate available models for expressing the particle number, surface area, ...
To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketpla... more To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly dependent on the inventory as an important resource and bellweather of the pervasiveness of nanotechnology in society. We interviewed 68 nanotechnology experts to assess key information needs. Their answers guided inventory modifications by providing a clear conceptual framework best suited for user expectations. The revised inventory was released in October 2013. It currently lists 1814 consumer products from 622 companies in 32 countries. The Health and Fitness category contains the most products (762, or 42% of the total). Silver is the most frequently used nanomaterial (435 products, or 24%); however, 49% of the products (889) included in the CPI do not provide the composition of the nanomaterial used in them. About 29% of the CPI (528 products) contain nanomaterials suspended in a variety of liquid media and dermal contact is the most likely exposure scenario from their use. The majority (1288 products, or 71%) of the products do not present enough supporting information to corroborate the claim that nanomaterials are used. The modified CPI has enabled crowdsourcing capabilities, which allow users to suggest edits to any entry and permits researchers to upload new findings ranging from human and environmental exposure data to complete life cycle assessments. There are inherent limitations to this type of database, but these modifications to the inventory addressed the majority of criticisms raised in published literature and in surveys of nanotechnology stakeholders and experts. The development of standardized methods and metrics for nanomaterial characterization and labelling in consumer products can lead to greater understanding between the key stakeholders in nanotechnology, especially consumers, researchers, regulators, and industry.
This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fl... more This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea [Müller]) differed significantly between two types of field enclosures. Enclosures were either flexible mesh bags or rigid cages (hereto after referred as bioboxes) designed to homogenize substrate among study sites and accommodate Asian clam feeding mechanisms. For 96d, cages remained at 12 Clinch River (CR), Hurricane Fork (HF), and Dump's Creek (DC) sites upstream and downstream of a coal-fired power plant discharge, coal mining effluent, and coal combustion-related disposal facilities in Carbo, Virginia. Although survivorship was not significantly different between cage types, mean growth of clams in bioboxes was significantly greater overall (p = 0.0157). Despite the difference in growth between the two cage types, both confirmed significant reductions of survivorship and growth directly below the power plant discharge. Additionally, coefficient of variance values for bio...
American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in... more American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Carbo, Russell County, Virginia (USA), has impaired Clinch River biota through toxic spills in 1967 and 1970, and effluent copper (Cu) concentrations that were reported to have exceeded water quality criteria from 1985-1989. These impacts have provided impetus for many research projects addressing the absence of bivalves, including federally protected species of native mussels (Unionoidea), from sites influenced by CRP effluent. Modifications in CRP effluent during 1987 and 1993 drastically reduced Cu levels and warranted the present study, which assessed long-term biological recovery in Clinch River biota near the CRP. In 2000-2001, surveys of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and instantaneous measures of effluent toxicity did not foretell significant reductions in survivorship and growth of field-caged Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) at sites downstream of the CRP. More importan...
Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2012
Water resource recovery facilities have been described as creating breeding ground conditions for... more Water resource recovery facilities have been described as creating breeding ground conditions for the selection, transfer, and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among various bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of direct addition of antibiotic and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs, or nanosilver) on the occurrence of ARGs in thermophilic anaerobic digesters. Test thermophilic digesters were amended with environmentally-relevant concentrations of Ag NP (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg-Ag/L; corresponding to '0.7, 7.0, and 70 mg-Ag/kg total solids) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) that span susceptible to resistant classifications (1, 5, and 50 mg/L) as potential selection pressures for ARGs. Tetracycline (tet(O), tet(W)) and sulfonamide (sulI, sulII) ARGs and the integrase enzyme gene (intI1) associated with Class 1 integrons were measured in raw sludge, test thermophilic digesters, a control thermophilic digester, and a control mesophilic digester. There was no apparent effect of Ag NPs on thermophilic anaerobic digester performance. The maximum SMX addition (50 mg/L) resulted in accumulation of volatile fatty acids and low pH, alkalinity, and volatile solids reduction. There was no significant difference between ARG gene copy numbers (absolute or normalized to 16S rRNA genes) in amended thermophilic digesters and the control thermophilic digester. Antibiotic resistance gene copy numbers in digested sludge ranged from 10 3 to 10 6 copies per lL ('8 3 10 1 to 8 3 10 4 copies per lg) of sludge as result of a 1-log reduction of ARGs (2log reduction for intI1). Quantities of the five ARGs in raw sludge ranged from 10 4 to 10 8 copies per lL ('4 3 10 2 to 4 3 10 6 per lg) of sludge. Test and control thermophilic digesters (53 8C, 12-day solids retention time [SRT]) consistently reduced but did not eliminate levels of all analyzed genes. The mesophilic digester (37 8C, 20-day SRT) also reduced levels of sulI, sulII, and intI1 genes, but levels of tet(O) and tet(W) were the same or higher than in raw sludge. Antibiotic resistance gene reductions remained constant despite the application of selection pressures, which suggests that digester operating conditions are a strong governing factor of the bacterial community composition and thus the prevalence of ARGs. Water Environ. Res., 85, 411 (2013).
Nanotechnology Environmental Health and Safety: …, 2009
... CHAPTER 7: Nanotechnology Risk Management and Small Business 266 Despite the increased challe... more ... CHAPTER 7: Nanotechnology Risk Management and Small Business 266 Despite the increased challenges facing generators of nanotechnology-based products, generators ultimately remain responsible for both deter-mining and communicating any hazardous properties of ...
American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Car... more American Electric Power's (AEP) coal-fired Clinch River Plant, a power-generating facility in Carbo, Russell County, Virginia (USA), has impaired Clinch River biota through toxic spills in 1970, and effluent copper (Cu) concentrations that were reported to have exceeded water quality criteria from [1985][1986][1987][1988][1989]. These impacts have provided impetus for many research projects addressing the absence of bivalves, including federally protected species of native mussels (Unionoidea), from sites influenced by CRP effluent. Modifications in CRP effluent during 1987 and 1993 drastically reduced Cu levels and warranted the present study, which assessed long-term biological recovery in Clinch River biota near the CRP. In 2000-2001, surveys of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and instantaneous measures of effluent toxicity did not foretell significant reductions in survivorship and growth of field-caged Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) at sites downstream of the CRP. More importantly, these results indicated renewed toxicity in CRP effluent. Additional transplant studies using two enclosure types were conducted to isolate effects attributable to CRP effluent from the potentially confounding effects of substrate variability among study sites. While it was found that mean growth of clams was greatest in the enclosure that minimized substrate variability (p=0.0157), both enclosure types clearly distinguished significant impairment of survivorship and growth at sites downstream of the CRP discharge, and strengthened the association between impairment and CRP effluent. An intensive field investigation was undertaken to determine whether impairment observed in transplant studies extended to resident bivalves. During 2001-2002, densities and age structures of C. fluminea and distributions of mussels suggested that impairment indeed extended to resident bivalves for a distance of 0.5 to 0.6 km downstream of the CRP discharge. Impairment of bivalves was less evident below (1) a fly ash landfill and (2) coal mining activities and low-volume leachate from a bottom ash settling pond. With respect to longterm recovery, modifications in CRP effluent treatment have reduced Cu concentrations from an average of 436 µg/L in 1985-1989 to 13 µg/L in 1991-2002. Subsequently, Cu body burdens of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) transplanted within CRP influence have decreased from 442% of levels accumulated at reference sites in 1986, to 163% of these levels in 2002. The reduction in effluent Cu largely explains recovery of most benthic macroinvertebrate community parameters (e.g., richness, diversity) at influenced sites from levels that were typically less than 70% of reference levels, to levels that frequently range from 80 to greater than 100% of reference levels. Nevertheless, bivalves remain impaired downstream of the CRP; survivorship and growth of C. fluminea transplanted to CRP-influenced sites have typically been less than 40 and 20% of reference values, respectively. Furthermore, C. fluminea has seldom been encountered within CRP influence for nearly two decades. Likewise, native mussels remain absent within CRP influence, but recent surveys suggest their downstream distributions are more proximate to the CRP discharge than has been reported previously. A preliminary assessment of factors potentially contributing to toxicity revealed that (1) water reclaimed from settling basins for discharge with CRP effluent significantly impaired fecundity of ceriodaphnids at concentrations of 50%, (2) LC 50 values for industrial treatment chemicals were misrepresented on Material Safety Data Sheets and consequently, were subject to misapplication by operators, (3) Cu concentrations of 96 µg/L significantly impaired growth of Asian clams in artificial stream testing, and (4) effluent Al exceeded acute and chronic water quality criteria, suggesting this ion should receive further consideration in future studies.
This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in... more This paper provides an overview of the production and use of nanomaterials (NMs), particularly in the UK. Currently, relatively few companies in the UK are identifiable as NM manufacturers, the main emphasis being the bulk markets in metals and metal oxides, and some niche markets such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. NM manufacturing in the UK does not reflect the global emphasis on fullerenes, nanotubes and fibres. Some assumptions have been made about the types of NM that are likely to be imported into the UK, which currently include fullerenes, modified fullerenes and other carbon-based NMs including nanotubes. Many university departments, spin-offs and private companies have developed processes for the manufacture of NMs but may only be producing small quantities for research and development (R&D) purposes. However, some have the potential to scale up to produce large quantities. The nanotechnology industry in the UK has strong R&D backup from universities and related institutions. This review has covered R&D trends at such institutions, and appropriate information has been added to a searchable database. While several companies are including NMs in their products, only a few (e.g. manufacturers of paints, coatings, cosmetics, catalysts, polymer composites) are using nanoparticles (NPs) in any significant quantities. However, this situation is likely to change rapidly. There is a need to collect more information about exposure to NPs in both manufacturing and user scenarios. As the market grows, and as manufacturers switch from the micro-to the nanoscale, the potential for exposure will increase. More research is required to quantify any risks to workers and consumers.
Few studies have considered the environmental impacts of impurities and byproducts associated wit... more Few studies have considered the environmental impacts of impurities and byproducts associated with low-efficiency nanomanufacturing processes. Here, we study the composition and aquatic toxicity of low-purity, as-produced fullerenes (C 60 ) and metallofullerene waste solids, both of which were generated via arc-discharge synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) were used to characterize the metals composition of the solid test materials and of aqueous leachates prepared by mixing test materials with waters of varying pH, hardness, and salinity. The aquatic toxicity of the leachates was determined using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended aquatic bioassay protocols with two standard test organisms-Pimephales promelas and Ceriodaphnia dubia. Results indicated that metals associated with the solid test materials became mobilized in our test system upon interaction with waters of circumneutral pH and reached concentrations sufficient to induce toxicity in both test species. Acute (48 h) LC 50 values for P. promelas and C. dubia exposed to leachates prepared from metallofullerene waste solids were 54 and 5% (as % leachate in diluent), respectively. Toxicity was eliminated after adding the chelator EDTA to the leachates, implicating divalent transition metals as the toxicity source. Our results demonstrate the aquatic toxicity of metals mobilized from products and byproducts of nanomanufacturing, and they emphasize the need for a global review of nanomanufacturing wastes and low-purity products.
Mass concentration is the standard convention to express exposure in ecotoxicology for dissolved ... more Mass concentration is the standard convention to express exposure in ecotoxicology for dissolved substances. However, nanotoxicology has challenged the suitability of the mass concentration dose metric. Alternative metrics often discussed in the literature include particle number, surface area, and ion release (kinetics, equilibrium). It is unlikely that any single metric is universally applicable to all types of nanoparticles. However, determining the optimal metric for a specific type of nanoparticle requires novel studies to generate supportive data and employ methods to compensate for current analytical capability gaps. This investigation generated acute toxicity data for two standard species (Ceriodaphnia dubia, Pimephales promelas) exposed to five sizes (10, 20, 30, 60, 100 nm) of monodispersed citrate- and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles. Particles were sized by various techniques to populate available models for expressing the particle number, surface area, ...
To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketpla... more To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly dependent on the inventory as an important resource and bellweather of the pervasiveness of nanotechnology in society. We interviewed 68 nanotechnology experts to assess key information needs. Their answers guided inventory modifications by providing a clear conceptual framework best suited for user expectations. The revised inventory was released in October 2013. It currently lists 1814 consumer products from 622 companies in 32 countries. The Health and Fitness category contains the most products (762, or 42% of the total). Silver is the most frequently used nanomaterial (435 products, or 24%); however, 49% of the products (889) included in the CPI do not provide the composition of the nanomaterial used in them. About 29% of the CPI (528 products) contain nanomaterials suspended in a variety of liquid media and dermal contact is the most likely exposure scenario from their use. The majority (1288 products, or 71%) of the products do not present enough supporting information to corroborate the claim that nanomaterials are used. The modified CPI has enabled crowdsourcing capabilities, which allow users to suggest edits to any entry and permits researchers to upload new findings ranging from human and environmental exposure data to complete life cycle assessments. There are inherent limitations to this type of database, but these modifications to the inventory addressed the majority of criticisms raised in published literature and in surveys of nanotechnology stakeholders and experts. The development of standardized methods and metrics for nanomaterial characterization and labelling in consumer products can lead to greater understanding between the key stakeholders in nanotechnology, especially consumers, researchers, regulators, and industry.
This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fl... more This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea [Müller]) differed significantly between two types of field enclosures. Enclosures were either flexible mesh bags or rigid cages (hereto after referred as bioboxes) designed to homogenize substrate among study sites and accommodate Asian clam feeding mechanisms. For 96d, cages remained at 12 Clinch River (CR), Hurricane Fork (HF), and Dump's Creek (DC) sites upstream and downstream of a coal-fired power plant discharge, coal mining effluent, and coal combustion-related disposal facilities in Carbo, Virginia. Although survivorship was not significantly different between cage types, mean growth of clams in bioboxes was significantly greater overall (p = 0.0157). Despite the difference in growth between the two cage types, both confirmed significant reductions of survivorship and growth directly below the power plant discharge. Additionally, coefficient of variance values for bio...
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