I&EC 18 |
| Vicki L. Colvin, Christie M. Sayes, Kevin D. Ausman, John Fortner, and Delina Lyons. Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main St.--MS 60, Houston, TX 77005 |
| As nanotechnology develops into a mature industry, it is becoming increasingly important to characterize the environmental effects of engineered nanomaterials. Whether or not these new materials will behave differently from their bulk counterparts in natural systems is largely an open question, and its answer will be important for ensuring the appropriate use of nanomaterials. To evaluate this issue generally, we consider the environmental chemistry and biological interactions of two classes of nanomaterials: nanoscale titanium dioxide and carbon-60. While both materials exhibit aggregation in water, fullerenes form stable, sub-micron, colloidal clusters which can persist for long times under a wide variety of conditions. This behavior makes fullerenes more accessible to biological systems and permits their bioaccumulation in lower organisms to be characterized. In-vitro cellular toxicology studies of both systems is also possible; the two classes of materials have different effects on the growth and proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts and this can be explained by their differing solution phase chemistry. These data will be benchmarked to results for small molecular and particulate materials. |
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Nanotechnology and the Environment
12:15 PM-2:30 PM, Sunday, March 28, 2004 Marriott -- Grand Ballroom F, Oral
Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry |