Environmental impact assessment of nanoparticles on the behaviour of heavy metals

Abstract

The world scenario of large-scale production, use and disposal of manufactured nanoparticles, require studies of their fate and impact in the environment. Accidental or authorized release of industrial or medical effluents in aquatic systems may result in direct exposure of humans to nanoparticles (e.g.: ingestion of contaminated drinking water or organisms such as molluscs and crustaceans). Nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) is one of such materials used in nuclear medicine as drug delivery, which has also been widely applied for the remediation of contaminated soil and purification of wastewaters polluted with heavy metals. However, there is limited information regarding effects of nHAp applications as drug delivery and its final disposal in sewage systems. This report was performed as part of a CNPq project (409409/2016-2) to evaluate the environmental impact of the discharge of nanomaterials used in nuclear medicine.