Investigating the ENvironmental impacts of TRANSformed engineered nanomaterials released from wastewater treatment plants (ENTRANS)

As the production, diversity and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) is increasing in consumer products, there are corresponding increases in ENM emissions to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) from domestic and industrial sources. Due to their dynamic nature ENM undergo significant physicochemical transformation during transport through WWTPs and further when emitted to the natural environment. This leads to altered ENM characteristics which can have a further impact on their fate, bioavailability and effects on organisms.

ENTRANS will address the research challenge of understanding the environmental impacts of transformed engineered nanomaterials (ENM) released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) on organisms from relevant environmental compartments (soils and sediments). ENTRANS will provide (i) an improved understanding of the behaviour and transformation of ENM following release from WWTPs, (ii) environmental ENM levels that are currently missing, (iii) an effects assessment of transformed ENM,(iv) integration of data for modelling fate, exposure and toxicity. Novel analytical tools for ENM detection in complex matrices will be developed for the determination of ENM uptake by organisms and cells. Using isotopically labelled ENMs, the transformation and impact of these particles will be tracked and studied. In a move towards improving environmental relevance of ENM hazard assessment, the project will employ relevant organisms from the soil and sediment compartments considered most at risk to ENM exposure and a better understanding of the fate and long-term impacts of transformed ENM will be provided. The project outcomes are expected to support the development of modelling and risk assessment tools for the sustainable development and use of nanotechnologies and ENM.

ENTRANS will be coordinated by NIVA in close collaboration with the national partners SINTEF and NIBIO and international partners in Switzerland (EAWAG) and the UK (Imperial College London).

The overall aim of the project is to understand the physicochemical transformation processes impacting ENMs in receiving environments released through wastewater treatment plants and how this influences their bioavailability, bioaccumulation and subsequent toxicity potential in the relevant environmental compartments.

Objectives

1. Study the transformation of a range of ENMs with different physicochemical properties.
2. Detect and quantify ENMs and their transformation products in biosolids, soils and sediments.
3. Assess the sublethal and long-term impacts of transformed ENMs relative to ‘pristine’ ENMs on terrestrial and sediment organisms.
4. Study the uptake and biodistribution of transformed ENMs on selected relevant species and particle-cell interaction using in vitro models
5. Integrate the data in a fate and exposure model incorporating transformation processes
6. Perform risk assessment of ENMs released in soil and sediments

The project will study the fate of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) after their release from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and subsequent impacts to organisms from receiving environments considered to be the final sinks for ENMs, soil and sediments. The project will provide a greater insight on the transformation of ENMs in environmental compartments and how these transformed ENMs affect their fate and impact organisms mostly at risk for which information is largely lacking. Labelled relevant ENMs will be used to study their transformation in biosolids that are being applied in agricultural land, follow their fate and study their potential uptake, biodistribution in different organisms, depuration and potential impact. During the project the ENM occurrence and environmental levels will be determined.

State of the art techniques will be employed to provide occurrence, form and exposure levels in WWTP biosolids that are being applied in agricultural land in Norway, receiving soils and sediments. The transformation processes, exposure and uptake, biodistribution and toxicity data will be carefully generated so that the obtained results can be integrated into computational fate and exposure models and a risk assessment can be performed.

During the project we will address key topics and bridge knowledge gap on sediment, soil health, nanomaterial transformation and environmental occurrence levels. The data generated during this study will be presented to stakeholders and suggestions towards waste management will be provided. Moreover, the project will provide recommendations for OECD guideline developments and waste regulation supporting a more sustainable development and use of nanotechnology.

ENTRANS will be coordinated by NIVA in close collaboration with the national partners SINTEF and NIBIO and international partners in Switzerland (EAWAG) and the UK (Imperial College London).