While much attention has been given to the development of nanoenabled materials, the resulting health impacts of incorporating nanomaterials into consumer products must also be considered – specifically, human and environmental exposure to released nanomaterials from products during their use/disposal. However, characterization of nanomaterial release into the environment is not a trivial task and considerations such as the role of weathering in regulating nanomaterial release are left to be better understood. A two-tiered experimental strategy that utilized both accelerated and natural weathering was implemented in order to quantify nanomaterial release and identify its principle regulating factors. The first approach focused on the accelerated weathering and photodegradation of carbon nanotube polymer nanocomposites (CNT-PNCs) containing a span of initial CNT concentrations (0 – 5% w/w). A detailed mechanistic understanding of CNT-PNC photodegradation was developed, with a key experimental component being the use of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS) to simultaneously quantify the concentration and characterize the form (individual CNTs vs. aggregates of CNTs embedded in polymer fragments) of released CNTs. Findings regarding the mechanism by which embedded CNTs inhibited extensive PNC photodegradation will be discussed, as well as a description of the evolution of CNT release as a function of both irradiation and initial CNT concentration. The second approach involved the development of an original and unique methodology which directly measures the release of nanomaterials from nanoenabled products following natural weathering. Details from this work will be presented, beginning with an outline of the methodology’s approach and procedures. Data will also be presented on the quantification of nanomaterial release from PNCs following one year of natural weathering. Discussion will expand to studies of the natural weathering of commercially available products, specifically pressure treated lumber. The role of local climate in regulating nanomaterial release from pressure treated lumber and the use of sp-ICP-MS to characterize the form of released nanomaterial will be presented; as well as the toxicological impact of released nanomaterial. Lastly, discussion will focus on the role of local climate in impacting both the antifungal efficacy of pressure treated lumber and its End-of-Life (EoL) implications.

Characterization of engineered nanomaterial release from nanoenabled products following accelerated and natural weathering

255th National Meeting (2018)

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