PNNL

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) are critical components in Earth’s complex (bio)geochemical system. They have been present since Earth’s origin. Life, from the earliest cells to modern humans, has evolved in intimate association with naturally occurring NPs. This synergy began to shift dramatically with human industrialization. Starting in the Anthropocene, incidental NPs (produced by human activity unintentionally) have been distributed worldwide in ever increasing quantities. In the last half century, engineered NPs are being produced in amounts large enough to make them a consequential nano-component of the planet. Due to major advances in experimental, computational, analytical, and field approaches, it is becoming possible to better assess all types and origins of NPs in Earth systems, and to better frame their longer-term impact on environmental and human health at local, regional, and global scales.