Biological Sciences

Environmental Nanotoxicology

With the emergence of new and novel nanotechnologies comes concern as to whether particles of very small size have the ability to affect wildlife through their deliberate or accidental release into the environment. Currently there are no regulations of such compounds if they don't cause toxicity in larger form. Research by Dr Alex Ford and colleagues have focused on whether nanoparticles pose a threat to aquatic organisms such as Daphnia, Artemia and Amphipods.

From left to right: Daphnia, Echinogammarus marinus and Artemia exposed to 13nm Carbon Black: Far right; Daphnia exposed to titanium dioxide 13nm.