Big Challenges Surrounding the Tiny: Towards An Understanding of the Bioavailability and Toxicity of Engineered Nanomaterials.

A rapidly emerging concern is the transport and fate of engineered nanomaterials in the environment. Over the past several years there has been a significant proliferation in work focused on the bioavailability and effects of nanomaterials to a variety of ecoreceptors and human cell lines. The data is very incomplete and no clear consensus has emerged concerning the uptake, distribution, and effects of nanomaterials. The major challenges include the diversity and complexity of nanomaterials, differences related to the specific conditions used in the exposures, the need for complete characterization under all conditions of the exposure,  a variety of endpoints evaluated, and the problem of dissolution/transformation of the nanomaterials during the exposure period. This presentation will review the major findings In the literature on the bioavailability and effects of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles to various receptors. We will also discuss our experiences with exposing a variety of terrestrial organisms to ZnO, Ag, and Au nanoparticles.