Terrestrial Fate and Effects of Nanometer-Sized Silver

Abstract

Although engineered nanomaterials are active components in a wide variety of commercial products, there is still limited information related to the effects of these nanomaterials once released into the terrestrial environment. A high number of commercial applications use silver nanoparticles (nAg) due to its anti-microbial activity. This may be of concern for waste management since nAg could be applied to soil (e.g., biosolids) or disposed of in traditional landfills, which could lead to possible leaching into surrounding soil. This report aims to provide additional insight into the fate and effects of nAg in terrestrial systems. The studies in this report examine the leachability of nAg in field soil and compares the soil migration to bulk (i.e., micron-sized) silver; examine the ecotoxicity of nAg to earthworms in four field soils spanning several different soil orders; and examine the behavioral effects of earthworms when exposed to engineered nanoparticles in field soil. These data provide additional insight into engineered nanoparticle fate and effects to terrestrial receptors in field soils, an important distinction from laboratory-generated soils. These data will also assist ecological risk assessors to better determine the acute environmental risks of nAg in terrestrial ecosystems with different soil compositions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2022
Accession Number
AD1165447

Entities

People

  • Anthony J. Bednar
  • Burton C Suedel
  • Charles Weiss
  • Cynthia J. Banks
  • David R Johnson
  • Jeffery A. Steevens
  • Jessica G. Coleman
  • Robert E. Boyd

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biodegradation
  • Chemistry
  • Ecology
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Environment
  • Environmental Protection
  • Fish
  • Fungi
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Metallic Nanoparticles
  • Nanoparticles
  • Nanotechnology
  • Toxicity
  • Waste Disposal Facilities
  • Waste Management

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Environmental Engineering.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology - Bioremediation