Probabilistic environmental risk assessment of nondissolvable nanomaterials (titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene-based materials, polystyrene nanoplastics) in the terrestrial ecosystem
Abstract
The accumulation of engineered nanomaterials and nanoplastics in soils, especially sludge-treated soils, raises concerns regarding their potential environmental hazard and risks. This work applies probabilistic environmental risk assessment based on probabilistic species sensitivity distributions and published data from exposure models to derive risk characterization ratios for four nondissolvable nanomaterials: Titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene-based materials (GBMs), and polystyrene nanoplastics. Median predicted no-effect concentration values were 36, 1.5, 56, and 0.5 mg.kg−1 for TiO2, CNTs, GBMs, and polystyrene nanoplastics, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found for the effects of nanomaterials on plants versus invertebrates or monocotyledonous versus dicotyledonous plants. Form-specific comparisons also showed no statistical difference among the nanomaterial forms: TiO2, P25 versus anatase versus rutile; CNTs, multi- versus single-walled CNTs; and GBMs, graphene versus graphene oxide versus reduced graphene oxide. At currently predicted environmental concentrations in European soils, none of the materials exhibited an environmental risk, except for TiO2 nanoparticles in sludge-treated soils, where 66% of the simulations resulted in an risk characterization ratio >1 (median = 1.38). However, a projected increase in environmental concentrations over time can result in larger potential risks in the future. This work also highlights the limitations of the current state of the art in terms of the availability of environmentally relevant ecotoxicity data in soils and realistic predicted environmental concentrations.
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BibTeX
@article{nabgui2026probabilistic,
title = {{Probabilistic environmental risk assessment of nondissolvable nanomaterials (titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene-based materials, polystyrene nanoplastics) in the terrestrial ecosystem}},
author = {Abderrahmane Nabgui and Merve Tunali and Bernd Nowack and Camille Larue},
journal = {Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1093/etojnl/vgag205},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05854367v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Probabilistic environmental risk assessment of nondissolvable nanomaterials (titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes, graphene-based materials, polystyrene nanoplastics) in the terrestrial ecosystem
AU - Abderrahmane Nabgui
AU - Merve Tunali
AU - Bernd Nowack
AU - Camille Larue
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/23
JO - Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
DO - 10.1093/etojnl/vgag205
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05854367v1
AB - The accumulation of engineered nanomaterials and nanoplastics in soils, especially sludge-treated soils, raises concerns regarding their potential environmental hazard and risks. This work applies probabilistic environmental risk assessment based on probabilistic species sensitivity distributions and published data from exposure models to derive risk characterization ratios for four nondissolvable nanomaterials: Titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene-based materials (GBMs), and polystyrene nanoplastics. Median predicted no-effect concentration values were 36, 1.5, 56, and 0.5 mg.kg−1 for TiO2, CNTs, GBMs, and polystyrene nanoplastics, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found for the effects of nanomaterials on plants versus invertebrates or monocotyledonous versus dicotyledonous plants. Form-specific comparisons also showed no statistical difference among the nanomaterial forms: TiO2, P25 versus anatase versus rutile; CNTs, multi- versus single-walled CNTs; and GBMs, graphene versus graphene oxide versus reduced graphene oxide. At currently predicted environmental concentrations in European soils, none of the materials exhibited an environmental risk, except for TiO2 nanoparticles in sludge-treated soils, where 66% of the simulations resulted in an risk characterization ratio >1 (median = 1.38). However, a projected increase in environmental concentrations over time can result in larger potential risks in the future. This work also highlights the limitations of the current state of the art in terms of the availability of environmentally relevant ecotoxicity data in soils and realistic predicted environmental concentrations.
SN - 0730-7268
SN - 1552-8618
ER -