NanoERA · Nanomaterials Ecological Risk Assessment: A study of the long-term effects and risks of nanoscale Iron Oxide used in plastic composites in the aquatic environment
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2015-07-03 → 2017-07-02
- EU contribution
- €180,277
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Nanomaterials Ecological Risk Assessment: A study of the long-term effects and risks of nanoscale Iron Oxide used in plastic composites in the aquatic environment
Nanoscale copper phthalocyanine (n-CuPc) has been utilized to enhance or modify the properties of many materials and products, including printing inks, coatings for automobile production, plastics and textiles. n-CuPc can improve the mechanical properties and add new features to the products, such as improved transparency, lightfastness (stability under irradiation), heat stability, chemical and bleed resistance, improved processing capabilities and durability. It is estimated that Europe consumed 21 thousand metric tons of CuPc pigments (dry weight basis, both as nano-forms (n-CuPc) and as non-nano-forms) in 2010, of which 25-30% were used in paints and coatings, a significant part in nanoform. The automobile industry is the largest market for organic pigments due to the increasing customer preferences for enhanced colors. The use of n-CuPc can potentially lead to the release of n-CuPc which may pose environmental and occupational risks, especially to automechanics performing car maintenance and repairs. Even though the automobile industry has risk management measures in place (local exhaust of sanding equipment, face masks) to reduce occupational exposure, the knowledge on fate and hazard of sanding fragments is required for efficient risk management. Furthermore, very little is known about the exposure and hazard of released n-CuPc from automobile coatings in environmental and occupational settings. The objective of NanoERA project is to address both the release of n-CuPc-containing fragments from commercial coatings in realistic occupational situations and the hazard of the released fragments to human health so as to provide information to the automobile industry regarding the potential risk to the workers employed in this sector.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The nanoform of Iron Oxide (n-Fe2O3) is a large-volume substance used in pigments. Nanoscale Fe2O3 pigments are used to a significant extent in consumer products such as household appliances made of coloured plastic composites. This application implies high probability of n-Fe2O3 release into the aquatic environment (especially during end-of-life processing of the plastics), where n-Fe2O3 may pose risks to freshwater and sediment organisms. Presently, very little is known about the biological interactions and the ecological risks of n-Fe2O3, as the available information addresses only short-term effects of pristine n-Fe2O3. Therefore, the goal of NanoERA is to develop concepts and methods, and to generate data to predict the long-term ecological effects and risks of n-Fe2O3 (fragments) released from end-of-life processing of a coloured plastic composite into the aquatic environment and to compare them to the pristine n-Fe2O3 used to produce the composite. In order to achieve this, the fellow will analyse how the physicochemical properties of the n-Fe2O3 (fragments) change in environmental (i.e. freshwater and sediment) and biological (cell culture) media and how these changes affect the biological interactions of these materials in aquatic organisms. The generated ecotoxicological effects data will be used to derive dose-response relationships and to quantitatively estimate the long-term ecological risks of the n-Fe2O3 (fragments). In the process of achieving the NanoERA scientific objectives the Marie Curie fellow will obtain training in transferable and technical skills. The fellow’s qualification match very well to the research programme, which promises that NanoERA will produce excellent scientific results, which will be broadly disseminated to achieve significant and long-lasting impact on the European objectives for safe and responsible nanoinnovation.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIA · VeneziaCoordinatorItaly
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union