Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoFASE (Nanomaterial FAte and Speciation in the Environment)

Teaser

The overarching objective of NanoFASE is to deliver an integrated Exposure Assessment Framework of models and characterisation protocols that will allow all stakeholders to assess the full diversity of industrial nano-enabled products to a standard that; i) is acceptable in...

Summary

The overarching objective of NanoFASE is to deliver an integrated Exposure Assessment Framework of models and characterisation protocols that will allow all stakeholders to assess the full diversity of industrial nano-enabled products to a standard that; i) is acceptable in regulatory registrations, ii) allows industry a cost-effective product-to-market process, and iii) delivers the understanding at all levels to underpin public and consumer confidence.
NanoFASE will ensure the Framework is delivered in a form that supports both the regulatory and technical guidance developments needed, via direct and continuous industrial and regulator stakeholder engagement and dialogue, throughout the project lifetime. Through this emphasis on stakeholder engagement and input to the Framework development process, NanoFASE will develop models and methods that are ideally positioned for incorporation into current mainstream chemical assessment tools, policy and regulation (e.g. EUSES & REACH). We will provide the underpinning science to enable the state of the art in ENM Fate and exposure assessment to move towards a level at least comparable with that for conventional chemicals

Work performed

\"The detailed objectives to be delivered by NanoFASE to achieve this shift in the state of the art are:
1. Enabling “form-specific” release modelling, by development of detailed understanding of i) product-type and product-use based release forms; and ii) release pathways of ENMs across ENM–enabled product chains (i.e. manufacturing, accidents, weathering, use, recycling and waste management) (WPs 4,5).
In the first 12months of the project this objective has been addressed through the following actions:
• Preliminary design of the structure of the emission database containing inventory descriptors.
• Estimations of European and regional estimates of production of NMs, release rates from products and waste treatment processes).
• Some experiments on environmental release have been already designed in collaboration with the industrial partners in the consortium.
2. Optimising current, routine “clean media” methods for ENM characterisation to deliver repeatable and reproducible results in environmentally relevant “complex” matrices. These protocols will provide practical methods to support future ENM exposure prediction and monitoring (WPs 3,6,7,8,9). We will continue to impart such state-of-the-art knowledge on metrology and standardisation issues into the international harmonisation and regulation efforts through exploiting consortium links with the OECD, ISO and CEN, via already engaged partners and our Advisory Board (WP10,11).
Preliminary work has been undertaken by some partners for their individual methods to date. A more systematic structure for evaluation, and a set of agreed targets against which to evaluate the different methods in terms of their transition from TRL3 to TRL4 will be agreed early in the second reporting period.
3. Developing a catalogue of process-informed compartment models, to describe how the distributions/populations of ENM forms entering all key waste management or environmental compartments transform in time (WPs 5,6,7,8,9).
Experimental platforms for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and solid waste incineration experiments have been prepared to allow studies on transformation processes in these waste stream reactors. Coating exchange and degradations experiments are underway Preparations for the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and solid waste incineration experiments were performed and are now ready so the experiments can be conducted. The coating exchange and degradation experiments have commenced.
A review paper on \"\"Emissions and Possible Environmental Implication of Engineered Nanomaterials (ENM) in the Atmosphere\"\" has been prepared. Test setup has been built to study airborne ENMS and the first results have been obtained on the Emission of ENM from nano automotive products during road transport.
For soil compartment processes the first year has mainly been used for setting strategies: What are the dominant processes to model, how to model these, how to assess the required model parameters experimentally, and what spatial study areas will we model geographically. This strategy is now finished and models, protocols are being developed assessed for their suitability to inform ENM transformation and transport processes
For Environmental behaviour of ENM in waters and sediments (WP8) alignment of modelling and experimental approaches for ENMs in surface waters with the NanofASE model system (WP2). A multidimensional parameter testing matrix has been establish designed to cover the most relevant parameters affecting the ENM fate in surface waters within realistic ranges for European surface waters.
In WP9 initial experiments to quantify and parameterise the uptake of ENM along the different stage of accumulation in different food webs and biota are underway
4. Working closely with stakeholders to develop a fate and exposure assessment framework (WP1) comprising validated SOPs, product value chain and waste management release modules (WP4,5), parameterised transformati\"

Final results

Activities towards the maximisation of the impacts of NanoFASE described in the description of action (section 2) is progressing well. While demonstrable impacts of our work are likely to occur in the latter half of the project (and beyond), early initiatives have been undertaken by NanoFASE to establish routes for effective engagement with stakeholders from a range of sectors.

Active presence and active listening is the key to success in avoiding scientific overlaps and understanding the needs of stakeholder groups. NanoFASE partners are actively involved in stakeholder interactions relevant to their specific fields. Partners have been both present and proactive in the research field, both building NanoFASE project awareness and gaining awareness of completing, ongoing and upcoming research projects (including sister EU cluster projects and overseas initiatives).

Website & more info

More info: http://www.nanofase.eu/.