Water and Soil Monitoring for the Protection of Environment and Human Health
Figure 3: Different levels of biological organization in a laboratory mesocosm (by Dr. Giovanni Pavanello, ISMAR). and natural colloidal particulates? international research institutions. • Do they bind lipophilic organic and metal For the evaluation model, different classes pollutants, and what are the routes of of anthropogenic ENPs representative nanoparticle uptake into biota? of potential future scenarios of use and • Do ENPs-linked chemical pollutants show impact in the aquatic environment should enhanced toxicity? be chosen. Their interaction with various • Are the particle size and surface properties significant factors in determining toxicity compartments of aquatic ecosystems (water and sediment), in varying chemical in aquatic organisms? • What is the implication of ENPs exposure and physical conditions (pH, temperature, concentration, natural matter for organisms health and ecosystem ion integrity? concentration) should be determined. • Can modelled fluxes and predicted impacts For each ENPs’ selected class a of ENPs help to provide an explanatory standardized protocol for measurement framework for their environmental must be developed for each different behaviour and possible impacts? environmental matricx (water, sediment All these gaps could be filled by planning and biota), including all the possible an appropriate laboratory experimental chemical and physical interactions between model which should involve different ENPs and the different matrices. One expertises available in the CNR Institutes, approach could be a careful and critical with the cooperation of other national and 53