• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.15.1-15.7
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• 2014

Objectives This paper tried to review a recent research trend for the environmental exposure of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and its removal efficiency in the nanowaste treatment plants. Methods The studies on the predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) of ENMs obtained by exposure modeling and treatment (or removal) efficiency in nanowaste treatment facilities, such as wastewater treatment plant (WTP) and waste incineration plant (WIP) were investigated. The studies on the landfill of nanowastes also were investigated. Results The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology group has led the way in developing methods for estimating ENM production and emissions. The PEC values are available for surface water, wastewater treatment plant effluents, biosolids, sediments, soils, and air. Based on the PEC modeling, the major routes for the environmental exposure of the ENMs were found as WTP effluents/sludge. The ENMs entered in the WTP were 90-99% removed and accumulated in the activated sludge and sludge cake. Additionally, the waste ash released from the WIP contain ENMs. Ultimately, landfills are the likely final destination of the disposed sludge or discarded ENMs products. Conclusions Although the removal efficiency of the ENMs using nanowaste treatment facilities is acceptable, the ENMs were accumulated on the sludge and then finally moved to the landfill. Therefore, the monitoring for the ENMs in the environment where the WTP effluent is discharged or biomass disposed is required to increase our knowledge on the fate and transport of the ENMs and to prevent the unintentional exposure (release) in the environment.

• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.250-258
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• 2012

Recent rapidly growth in nanotechnolgies is promised novel benefits through the exploitation of their unique industrial and biomedical applications. In addition, the production amount of these nanomaterials and nanoproducts has increased, and thus their uncontrolled release into the environment is anticipated to grow dramatically in future. Therefore, nanowaste streams must be effectively managed for sustainable nanotechnology. However, the effectiveness and capability of the current systems to handle nanowastes are yet to be established. In this review, we investigated several key topics for new paradigm of nanowaste treatment, (i) global and domestic production of nanomaterials and nanoproducts, (ii) definition and key resources of nanowaste, (iii) current and developing treatment method for nanowaste, and (iv) regulations for nanomaterials and nanoproducts.