Nanomaterial Release and Environmental Impacts

Nanomaterials are increasingly incorporated into a wide range of products to impart enhanced mechanical, electrical or optical functions. However, lifecycle processes such as machining, abrasion, ageing and weathering can liberate these materials from their host matrices, generating debris that ranges from intact composite fragments to fully dissociated nanoparticles. Once released into air, water or soil, nanomaterials may undergo physical and chemical transformations that alter their fate, transport and potential ecotoxicity. For example, mechanical forces can produce respirable fibres or particles capable of long-range dispersion, while photochemical or freeze–thaw weathering can expose or fragment embedded nanofillers. Environmental compartments may act as sinks or conduits, influencing bioavailability to microorganisms, plants and higher organisms. Emerging evidence highlights that release rates and the nature of the released species depend on matrix properties, nanofiller chemistry and the specific stress scenario. A robust understanding of these factors is vital for accurate exposure assessment, the design of safer materials and the implementation of regulatory frameworks aimed at minimising unintended environmental impacts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Nanomaterial Release and Environmental Impacts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanomaterial release and environmental impacts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanocomposite: A material in which nanoscale fillers are dispersed within a bulk matrix to enhance specific properties.

Abrasion: Wear resulting from mechanical friction or scraping that can liberate particles from a surface.

Weathering: Environmental degradation processes—including photochemical, thermal and freeze–thaw effects—that alter material structure.

Respirable particles: Particles small enough (typically <10 µm) to penetrate into the gas-exchange regions of the lung.

Spallation: Fragmentation induced by high-energy impact leading to the ejection of small particles or fibres from a solid.

References

1. Raman Spectroscopy Unfolds the Fate and Transformation of SWCNTs after Abrasive Wear of Epoxy Floor Coatings. Nanomaterials (2024).
2. Investigation of the Tendency of Carbon Fibers to Disintegrate into Respirable Fiber-Shaped Fragments. Fibers (2023).
3. A review and perspective of existing research on the release of nanomaterials from solid nanocomposites. Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2014).
4. A Review on the Study of the Generation of (Nano)particles Aerosols during the Mechanical Solicitation of Materials. Journal of Nanomaterials (2014).
5. Impact of freeze–thaw weathering on integrity, internal structure and particle release from micro- and nanostructured cement composites. Environmental Science Nano (2019).