| PROJECT | Transfer of carbon based manufactured nanomaterials in the aquatic environment: An assessment of their fate and effects, bioaccumulation, food web transfer, Trojan horse effects, and green applications |
FUNDING AGENCY
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
DURATION
2015-2018
COORDINATOR
Esteban Abad (IDAEA-CSIC)
LEAD RESEARCHER
Sergi Sabater (ICRA)
RESEARCHER
AMOUNT FOR THE ICRA
90.000€
Description
Carbon based manufactured nanomaterials (C-MNMs) are promising materials in nanotechnology. Although both fullerenes and carbon nanotubes have been detected in aquatic organisms, there is a lack of data on their bioaccumulation, potential chronic effects, transfer in the food chain, and distribution within organisms. Most effect studies performed till now dealt with waterborne exposure of single species for short time periods at high concentrations. NANO-Transfer aims at filling the knowledge gaps and will perform long-term experiments under environmentally relevant conditions using exposure via different paths in order to assess the effects of both unaltered and aged C-MNMs to biota and their interrelations in micro- and mesocosm systems. The distribution, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of C-MNMs in these complex systems will be investigated. Moreover, Trojan horse effects will be studied to evaluate whether C-MNMs can be safely used in green applications.