Ecology & Safety, Volume 12, 2018

Abstract: Rapidly growing production and use of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) is accompanied by increased emissions into the environment. Existing data gaps in the scientific knowledge on the fate of NMs in the environment and their potential biological adverse effects makes the evaluation of the environmental risks of NMs difficult if not impossible. We propose that the assessment of environmental risks and regulation and control of the release of metal-based NMs should be performed on the basis of total concentration of metals comprising these NMs. This would assure that the safe levels of NMs in the environment were not exceeded until enough environmentally relevant tests have been carried out for more realistic evaluations.