WP 4: ENP bioavailability - relations between soil and water chemistry and particle properties

WP 4: ENP bioavailability - relations between soil and water chemistry and particle properties

WP leaderDr Kees van Gestel (VUA)
ParticipantsNERC, VUA, UOXF.DJ, UAVR, UNIPMN, IHPP, CU, UGOT 
Objectives
  • Review and utilise existing data-holdings and where necessary primary research articles that contain information on ENP and media properties and their relationship with acute and chronic toxicity in aquatic and terrestrial species. (Main participants: VUA, UAVR, NERC)
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  • Establish and model how environment physicochemical properties govern ENP stability, soil--solution partitioning and transformation (e.g. dissolution) in natural waters and soils utilising time dependent kinetic modelling; provide chemical speciation modelling using established tools such as the Windermere Humic Acid Model and an adapted version of the Biotic Ligand Model including both particle dependent and dissolved metal ion toxicity. (Main participants: UGOT, NERC, VUA)
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  • Undertake specifically designed studies to investigate interactive effects among factors (ENP and media characteristics) that influence availability and uptake of ENPs in key species. (Main participants: NERC, UAVR, UOXF.DJ, UGOT, IHPP, DISAV)
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  • Develop kinetic models that describe environmental effects on particle dissolution rates and incorporate both free ion and particle associated toxicity to address the relationship between the relative contribution of ENP- and free metal ion-derived toxicity for exposed species. (Main participants: VUA, NERC)
Tasks4.1) Collation, data basing and mining of existing and newly available data.

4.2) Detailed experiments on how ENP and media properties interact to affect ENP presentation in environmental media and their availability for uptake.

4.3) Integrated assessment and modelling of ENP uptake and toxicity across soils and waters of varying chemical properties.