Research and development projects on nanomaterials

In addition to their agglomeration (dispersion stability) and dissolution, whether and how nanomaterials are transformed over time via abiotic processes is also important for their behaviour and fate in the environment. This knowledge is significant to understand in which form and amount engineered nanomaterials are present in the environment. The research project aims to develop an OECD test guideline for a quantitative determination of the abiotic transformation processes of nanomaterials, taking into account relevant environmental parameters. The work builds on ongoing activities for the development of an OECD Guidance Document on environmental abiotic transformation of nanomaterials.
In addition, the project will also include investigations to validate a possible test protocol for determining the heteroagglomeration of nanomaterials under consideration of relevant environmental parameters. The basis for this will be the existing OECD test guideline 318 for the determination of dispersion stability of nanomaterials under environmental conditions, which is currently limited to the investigation of homoagglomeration of nanomaterials. (UFORDAT No. 01088269)

The project considers nanocarriers as a case study for advanced materials that pose challenges for risk assessment under EU chemicals legislation. In the project, literature research on existing nanocarriers or those under development and their (potential) applications will be carried out. From the overview thus obtained, three nanocarrier types and the active substances they contain will be selected as examples for further investigations. These nanocarriers are expected to pose particular challenges for risk assessment in terms of material properties, environmental behavior and specific applications (e.g. in medicine or agriculture). For the selected nanocarriers, test strategies will be (further) developed and implemented in the laboratory in order to investigate their environmental behaviour and the potential release of the transported active ingredient under environmentally relevant conditions in more detail. The focus here is on assessing the mobility and degradability of the nanocarrier in aquatic systems as well as the non-intentional release of the active ingredient. The objectives of this research project are: (1) to discuss the preliminary project results in technical meetings with selected stakeholders in order to (2) identify knowledge gaps with regard to the environmental risk assessment of nanocarriers and (3) to develop proposals for the adaptation of existing concepts for assessment. In this way, the project should contribute to the development of a comprehensive risk assessment of the environmental behaviour of nanocarriers. (UFORDAT No. 01103855)

Fibrous and platelet-shaped advanced materials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphenes or MXenes, exhibit exceptional mechanical, electronic, optical and chemical properties. They are therefore being investigated for a variety of applications. These include, for example, optoelectronic applications (e.g. solar cells, light-emitting diodes), sensor technology, composite materials (e.g. for electrical conductivity, EMC shielding), energy storage, catalysts or textiles (e.g. for electrical conductivity, flame retardancy). Fibrous and platelet-like advanced materials may pose methodological challenges for regulatory risk assessment under EU chemical legislation due to their properties. The mechanisms contributing to the ecotoxic effects of these materials are poorly understood. In addition, there is concern that potential ecotoxic effects of the materials are not adequately elucidated via classical methods. Thus, there is a need to develop appropriate testing strategies to identify relevant mechanisms and (sub)lethal effects that allow a specific assessment of the ecotoxic potential of fibrous and platelet advanced materials. In this project, specific mechanisms of action and relevant (sub)lethal effects of these materials will be investigated based on a literature review. Based on that it will be derived which test systems must be used in order to be able to make specific statements on the ecotoxicology of these materials. Selected test systems will be tested and adapted using selected fibrous and platelet materials as examples. In this way, recommendations will be derived as to how non-classical effects could be taken into account in the environmental risk assessment of such materials and what further steps would have to be taken.