Project Page Views: [ 696 ]
| Project Metadata Element | Details |
| Project Title | Feasibility study assessing use of diatoms as bio-indicators and potential decontaminants of polymeric nanomaterials |
| Research Area | Water |
| Project Acronym | |
| Principal Investigator or Lead Irish Partner | Peter Dockery |
| Lead Institution or Organisation | National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) |
| Lead Country | Ireland |
| Latitude, Longitude (of Lead Institution) | 53.27905, -9.05794 |
| Lead Funding Entity | Environmental Protection Agency |
| Approximate Project Start Date | 02/02/2015 |
| Approximate Project Finishing Date | 01/02/2016 |
| Project Website (if any) | |
| Links to other Web-based resources | |
| Project Keywords | Polymeric nanomaterials; Degredation; Safety; Presence in water; Wastewater treatment plants |
| Project Abstract | Polymeric nanomaterials (NMs) are increasingly being investigated for applications in biomedical science yet there is a paucity of information on the influence and fate of such materials, and their degradation products, on the environment. It is imperative that a defined strategy to evaluate the safety of such materials is created. This project proposes the use of diatoms as a tool to assess the presence of polymeric NMs in water, to evaluate water quality in wastewater treatment prior to discharge into natural water environments to ensure an absence of polymeric NMs, and to decontaminate waters of polymeric NM pollutants. It is envisaged that five high risk polymeric NMs relative to the Irish environment will be identified. Pilot data will be generated on both the potential use of diatoms as bio-indicators of the presence of NMs and as potential decontamination agents of NMs. This work will generate three articles for peer-reviewed journals. |