Occurrence, fate, and impact of engineered metal/carbonaceous nanomaterials in the environment, detection, and quantitation methods

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Abstract
Nanomaterials (NMs) are nanoscale materials of different shapes that are made of a variety of materials such as carbon, silicon, and transition metals. Wastewater treatment plants and nano-enabled consumer products have been identified as major sources of nanomaterials in the environment. Findings from many research studies revealed nanomaterials to be toxic to non-targeted species. Despite presenting an ecological risk to the environment and human health, little is known about the occurrence, formation, transport, and environmental impacts, owing to limited regulated quantitative and sensitive techniques for their assessment. More also, the realisation of nanomaterials' impact on the environment depends on emerging analytical methods. Therefore, it is paramount to continuously develop and optimise analytical methods that are promising to sensitively detect and quantify the nanomaterials in trace and ultra-trace levels in the environment. In this review, we discuss engineered metal/carbonaceous nanomaterials; production, pathways, fate, impact, toxicity, and their analytical methods of detection and quantification from the current literature.
Funding Information
  • Water Research Commission (k5/2807)
  • National Research Foundation (120221)
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal

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