Transport, Compartmentalization, and Effects of Nanoparticles in the Environment

The inclusion of nanoparticle-based materials into advanced weapon design has raised issues concerning the fate of the nanoparticles once they are released into the environment. In order to ensure that these materials are safe, new testing methodologies are required for quantifying (1) the transport of nanoparticles through soil, water, and the atmosphere; (2) the uptake and bioaccumulation potential of nanoparticles in plants and lower organisms; and (3) the impact of nanoparticles on animals and humans. To facilitate this analysis, multi-functional nanocomposite simulant particles will be precisely fabricated that allow for control over the size, shape, density, charge, hydrophobicity, and reactive state of the particles. This new class of environmental tracer particles have high extinction cross sections and are easily identified using optical and electron microscopes. Nanoparticle release, transport, degradation, and accumulation of simulant nanoparticles will be studied in soil, water, and atmospheric testing environments.