Silver Nanoparticles: Transport and Fate in the Environment

Abstract

Within the previous few years major advances in the development of nanotechnologies and practical application of artificial nanoparticles (NPs) and nanomaterials (NMs) have resulted. As society becomes further aware that the use of nanomaterials is ever growing in consumer products and their presence in the environment, critical interest on the impact of this emerging technology has grown. A major concern is whether the unknown risks of engineered nanoparticles, in particular, their impact on health and environment, outweighs their established benefits to society. The goal is to evaluate their potential toxicity in the environment. Silver nanoparticles exhibit an important effect on microbial processes in environmental exposures. This study provides a brief review over the current state-of-knowledge about AgNPs from various studies in this area, including the history, analysis, source, transport, fate, and potential risks of AgNPs. In order to fully investigate the transport and fate of AgNPs in the environment, appropriate methods for the pre-concentration, separation, and speciation of AgNPs should be developed, and analytical tools for the characterization and detection of AgNPs in complicated environmental studies must be incorporated.