Most carbon nanotubes (CNTs) will enter the environment within nanoproducts, such as polymer nanocomposites. As such, methods for examining the releases rates of NPs from nanoproducts, as well as their environmental fate are needed. A major challenge is the need to accurately detect and quantify released CNTs under environmentally relevant conditions. We have employed single particle � inductively coupled plasma � mass spectrometry (spICPMS) to simultaneously detect, quantify and size metal-containing engineered CNTs at part-per-trillion levels. CNTs were embedded in polymers (e.g. chitosan, polystyrene) to create nanocomposites, which were then subjected to potential CNT release scenarios, including exposure to UV irradiation. The resulting supernatants were sampled for spICPMS analysis and the presence of CNTs detected by monitoring residual metal catalysts such as Co, Y, and Mo. In aqueous leaching studies the number of released nanomaterials scaled with polymer loading and exposure time. The effects of UV irradiation on the quantity and form of released CNTs will also be presented as well as the corresponding changes in the surface characteristics of the polymer nanocomposites. Quantifying CNT release rates from nanocomposites is important not only from a life cycle perspective, but also in terms of risk assessment, because release is the precursor to exposure.

Detection of carbon nanotubes released from polymer nanocomposites using single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

247th National Meeting (2014)

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