Objective: Objective of the NanoSustain project is to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable design, use, recycling and final treatment of nanotechnology-based products This will be achieved by a comprehensive data gathering and generation of relevant missing data, as well as their evaluation and validation, for specific nano-products or product groups in relation to their human health and environmental hazards and possible impacts that may occur during after-production stages. Although production of nano-materials is rapidly increasing, our knowledge about possible health and environmental effects associated with these materials is still rather poor. This lack of knowledge calls for more research. Due to their small size, nano-particles behave different than their chemical analogues. They can be taken up easily and in a unique way with possible adverse effects in man and organisms. Assessing their hazard is complex and needs new approaches and a close international cooperation. NanoSustain will address the questions, 1) how and to what degree society and the environment will be exposed to nano-materials and associated products, and (2) where do these particles end up? Expected results will improve our present knowledge on the impact and fate of these particles after entering economic and natural cycles. NanoSustain has mobilized the critical mass of expertise, resources and skills to tackle this complex issue. Based on results from hazard characterization, impact assessment and LCA, we will explore on a lab-scale new solutions for the design of selected nano-materials and associated products and their sustainable use, recycling and final treatment. As the concerned nanotech industry will actively participate in the planned project, NanoSustain will set the ground for the development of new sustainable products and industrial applications, and hence help to strengthen competitiveness of the European nanotechnology industry.
Objective: The project NANOPOLYTOX will evaluate the toxicological impact of nanomaterials included in polymer nanocomposites, highly used in various industrial sectors, during their life cycle. The toxicological profile will be correlated with the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the nanomaterials during the artificial aging/weathering process of the polymeric nanocomposites. Raw nanomaterials and extracted nanomaterials will be characterized at different stages of their life cycle and their toxicity profiles will be obtained via in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies. The results from the in vivo studies will be used for the evaluation of the biological and environmental fate of nanomaterials. All the data generated during the project (physical, chemical and toxicological data) will be considered for the development of the novel LCIA methodology to apply to nanomaterials. These studies will also be taken into account for the selection of adequate digestion and extraction methods to separate the nanomaterials from the polymeric matrices. Moreover, optimization of these methods will facilitate the development of recycling techniques that will be applied in the end-stage of polymer nanocomposites. Disposal of the extracted toxic and/or innocuous nanomaterials will be carried out by mechanical and chemical recycling techniques. The chemical recycling technique will be based on a new separation method consisting of nanofiber filters to separate efficiently the raw nanomaterials from the polymeric matrices and re-use them in new applications. Finally, the nanofiber filters containing toxic nanomaterials will be immobilized in xerogel matrices by sol-gel processes and sintering.