Environmental Behaviors and Biological Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials: Important Roles of Interfacial Interactions and Dissolved Organic Matter

Abstract

AbstractWith the fast development of nanotechnology, reactive engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly discharged into the environment, where they interact with environmental components and organisms and thus pose potential risks. The interactions‐derived formation of nano‐environmental and nano‐bio interfaces determines environmental behaviors and biological effects of ENMs, and ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM) is bound to impact the interfacial interactions and the resulted environmental risks. Herein, we systematically investigated adsorptive interactions between ENMs and various DOM representatives, and thereby demonstrated the effects of DOM on the aqueous suspension/aggregation, mobility in porous media, adsorption of contaminants, transformation, and biological accumulation and toxicity of ENMs. Overall, we conclude that natural DOM can in general expand environmental distribution of ENMs while limit their toxicity to organisms.What is the most favorite and original chemistry developed in your research group?Nanomaterial pollution chemistry.How do you get into this specific field? Could you please share some experiences with our readers?I started to work on nanomaterial pollution chemistry during my visiting scholar research (2006—2008) in UMass, Amherst, USA. There, I studied chemistry involved in environmental behaviors and biological effects of nanomaterials. Thereafter, this becomes the major research topic in my lab till now.How do you supervise your students?Talk and discuss with them about their research regularly. Being prepared before giving comments or suggestions on their research results to make my viewpoints helpful. Share relevant and latest references with them. Appropriately push them to read, think, and do more. Encourage them to ask more questions about experimental phenomena. Inspire their ambition to publish good papers and become good scientists.What is the most important personality for scientific research?Hungering for truth and novelty.