This report provides a literature review on four specific waste treatment processes (recycling, incineration, landfilling and wastewater treatment).

This text presents the most current knowledge on the environmental impact of materials and products developed using nanotechnology. Although nanomaterials are revolutionising electronics, medicine, transportation and many other industries, they pose risks to living beings and ecosystems that are barely understood. Leading researchers here consider the science of nanomaterials, their behaviour in the environment, risk assessment and toxicology, and the future of nanomaterials.

The nanotechnology sector, which generated about $225 billion in product sales in 2009, is predicted to expand rapidly over the next decade with the development of new technologies that have new capabilities. The increasing production and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) may lead to greater exposures of workers, consumers, and the environment, and the unique scale-specific and novel properties of the materials raise questions about their potential effects on human health and the environment. Over the last decade, government agencies, academic institutions, industry, and others have conducted many assessments of the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) aspects of nanotechnology. The results of those efforts have helped to direct research on the EHS aspects of ENMs. However, despite the progress in assessing research needs and despite the research that has been funded and conducted, developers, regulators, and consumers of nanotechnology-enabled products remain uncertain about the types and quantities of nanomaterials in commerce or in development, their possible applications, and their associated risks. A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials presents a strategic approach for developing the science and research infrastructure needed to address uncertainties regarding the potential EHS risks of ENMs. The report summarizes the current state of the science and high-priority data gaps on the potential EHS risks posed by ENMs and describes the fundamental tools and approaches needed to pursue an EHS risk research strategy. The report also presents a proposed research agenda, short-term and long-term research priorities, and estimates of needed resources and concludes by focusing on implementation of the research strategy and evaluation of its progress, elements that the committee considered integral to its charge.

Published as part of Elsevier's series, Nanobiotechnology for Plant Protection, Nanotoxicology for Agricultural and Environmental Applications provides an introduction to nanotechnology and its applications in agriculture and the environment.Divided into five parts, this book addresses nanotechnology and regulations, nanotoxicity, nanotoxicity to agriculture and food, nanotoxicity to the environment, and risk management measures to avoid exposure.Students, practitioners, and researchers working in plant science, agricultural science, nanoscience, and environmental chemistry alike will benefit from this necessary reference. - Highlights the factors contributing to toxic effects of nanoparticles, including shape, size, structure, surface charge, and dosage - Explores the mode of action and entry of nanoparticles, methods of toxicity evaluation, and the associated challenges - Describes recent developments in nanotoxicity to soil ecosystems, crop plants, and food systems - Emphasizes the impact of nanoparticles and their detoxification by plants on the nutritional quality of food and plants - Discusses the impact of toxicity of nanoparticles released in air, soil, and water and methods to reduce their effects

In the last decade, nanomaterials have become a double-edged sword. On one hand, nanomaterials have proven their limitless potential not only for technological applications, but also for medical ones. On the other hand, the increasing use of these nanomaterials has raised concerns regarding their safety for environmental and human health, due to their potential toxicity. The toxic effects of nanomaterials depend on their type, surface geometry, diameter, length and function. This book intends to provide a comprehensive evidence-based overview of nanomaterial toxicity, from their synthesis and characterization, environmental impact, tests to assess their toxicity in vitro and in vivo, ways to modulate their impact on living organisms, to their beneficial use in biomedical applications.

Nanomaterial Recycling provides an update on the many benefits nanomaterials can provide on both environmental and economic issues. Sections cover the appropriate recycling strategies of nanowastes, nanowaste regulations (including nanowaste disposal and recycling standards), promising applications (reuses) of these recycled nanomaterials, and various methods used for the separation of nanoparticles, including (i) centrifugation, (ii)solvent evaporation, (iii) magnetic separation, (iv) using pH/thermal responsive materials, (v) molecular antisolvents, (vi) nanostructured colloidal solvents, and more. This book is an important reference source for materials scientists and engineers who are seeking to increase their understanding of nanomaterials, recycling processes and techniques. As nanomaterials can be recycled from both new/pure products (from nano manufacturing) and used products (nano waste: waste from nano integrated products), this book is a welcomed addition to many disciplines. - Provides information on how nanoscale recycling techniques can mitigate the most hazardous effects of nanomaterials - Explains the major recycling processes and techniques used for nanoscale materials - Assesses the major challenges of implementing nanoscale recycling approaches in a scalable and cost-effective manner