Nanoparticles in the Presence of Water

The word “nanotechnology” is most often familiar in the context of science fiction, but since the first nanomaterials were discovered in the 1980s, these tiny structures have become a part of new developments in the fields of medicine, engineering, and construction, and they have been integrated into consumer products from food storage to clothing.

However, with their increasing use, many researchers are beginning to raise questions about the ecological impacts of nanoparticles, with little known about their possible effects as they enter natural environment. Will they clump together into larger structures that could be eaten by fish and other aquatic organisms, possibly causing damage? Or will the larger clumps of nanoparticles settle to the bottom of a lake or stream where they could affect Lake Erie’s benthic communities? Nobody really knows, and that could be a real problem.