Predicted Releases of Engineered Nanomaterials: From Global to Regional to Local

A key question for industry, regulators, toxicologists, and risk assessors working with nanomaterials is what relevant environmental engineered nanomaterial (ENM) concentrations should be considered. Answering this question requires ENM material flow estimates at the local level. Using a life-cycle approach, global ENM production and application data were used to estimate releases at global, regional, national, and local levels. Local level emissions were then used to estimate releases to water (direct and from wastewater treatment effluent), soils (direct and from runoff and biosolids), and air (direct and from incineration of ENM-containing products). Waste management data for dozens of countries were used to estimate the flow of 10 major ENMs through eight world regions. A national and local release example was conducted with data from the United States, providing predicted wastewater effluent concentrations for the San Francisco Bay area, ranging from low nanograms per liter to micrograms per liter depending on the ENM.