Development of Environmental Fate Models for Engineered Nanoparticles-A Case Study of TiO2 Nanoparticles in the Rhine River

For a proactive risk assessment of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) it is imperative to derive predicted environmental concentration (PEC) values for ENPs in different environmental compartments; PECs can then be compared to effect thresholds. From the basis of established multimedia environmental fate models for organic pollutants, we develop a new concept of environmental fate modeling for ENPs with process descriptions based on the specific properties of ENPs. Our new fate modeling framework is highly flexible and can be adjusted to different ENPs and various environmental settings. As a first case study, the fate and transport of TiO2 NPs in the Rhine River is investigated. Predicted TiO2 NP concentrations lie in the ng/L range in the water compartment and mg/kg in the sediment, which represents the main reservoir for the nanoparticles. We also find that a significant downstream transport of ENPs is possible. A fundamental process, the heteroaggregation between TiO2 NPs and suspended particulate matter (SPM), is analyzed in more detail. Our modeling results demonstrate the importance of both the SPM properties (concentration, size, density) as well as the affinity of TiO2 NPs and SPM, characterized by the attachment efficiency, alpha(het-agg), on the transport potential of ENPs in a surface water system.