Fate and transport of titania nanoparticles in freshwater mesocosms

Titania nanoparticles are currently associated with air, soil, and water and with numerous products directed at human use and consumption (e.g., sunscreen, cosmetics, and food coatings). The environmental fate and transport of TiO2, or any nanomaterials entering dynamic aquatic environments are largely unknown. Because the physical and chemical properties of TiO2 are variable (size, surface chemistry, and composition), the movement, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of these materials are difficult to study in a complex ecosystem. Many metal oxide materials are durable and recalcitrant, and the accumulation of TiO2 in the environment could be significant over time and cause unforeseen impacts on ecosystems. Fate and transport of TiO2 nanomaterials in a bench-scale mesocosm system was assessed through nanomaterial partitioning and complexation in water, sediment, and tissue media characterized using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, respectively. Research data sets like these will build the foundation for future use in fate and transport of other nanomaterials in different water systems (fresh, estuarine, and marine) and in building empirical and process models that investigate environmental fate and transport and relevant freshwater ecological impacts of nanomaterials.