Environmental Nanoscience

Environmental nanoscience is an emerging discipline where growing number of environmental scientists begin to measure, understand, and predict the change of earth material properties from the bulk to nanodomains, and to comprehend the significant ways that environmental processes are affected by these changes. Despite moving full speed ahead on nanomaterial development and applications, researchers have been slow to consider the possible risks or unintended consequences of this emerging technology. With large and active surface areas, engineered nanoparticles are expected to behave like their natural analogs. They could provide an avenue for rapid and long-range transport of contaminants in the environment.