Environmental Science: Nano最新文献

{"title":"Machine learning-optimized electrochemical sensor for real-time detection of Pb, Hg, and Cd in mining wastewater","authors":"Hina Fatima Tahira,Ameer Hamza,Sehrish Hanif,Nosherwan Adil,Akhtar Hayat,Naeem Akhtar,Muhammad Nasir,Hamdy Khamees Thabet","doi":"10.1039/d6en00258g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00258g","url":null,"abstract":"Heavy metal ions (HMIs) such as Pb2+, Hg2+, and Cd2+ pose a severe threat to environmental sustainability and human health due to their high toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Mining activities are major sources of HMI contamination, releasing these ions into surrounding soil and wastewater during mineral extraction and processing. These toxic ions can migrate into nearby water bodies and agricultural land, ultimately entering the food chain and posing long-term health risks specifically to mine workers. Therefore, continuous monitoring of HMIs in mining wastewater is critically important. However, existing detection systems still lack the sensitivity and selectivity required for simultaneous monitoring of multiple HMI in complex mining wastewater matrices. To address this, herein we developed a sulfur-and nitrogen-doped MnFeCo trimetallic MOF (S/N–MFC–TM-MOF). The porous framework enhances electron transfer while thiourea-derived S/N groups provide abundant binding sites for selective adsorption. Performance was further optimized through machine learning (ML), enabling identification of the best-fit parameters. The resulting ML-optimized sensor achieved a wide linear range (0.1–160 μg L−1), ultralow LODs (Cd2+: 0.073, Hg2+: 0.069, Pb2+: 0.065 μg L−1), and excellent recovery rates in mining wastewater. This ML-guided TM-MFC–MOF sensor effectively overcomes the mentioned challenges, providing a robust platform for the real-time monitoring of toxic heavy metal ions in mining wastewater.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Micropollutant elimination from complex water matrices by microporous covalent triazine frameworks","authors":"Muhammad Bilal Asif,Ahror Ismoili,Abdul Ghaffar,Seok-Jin Kim,Javeed Mahmood,Cafer T. Yavuz","doi":"10.1039/d6en00327c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00327c","url":null,"abstract":"Organic micropollutants (OMPs), such as pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors, have been recognized as threats to both ecosystems and human health. Several advanced polymeric adsorbents have been developed over the last decade to address the issue of OMP pollution. However, their efficacy in complex mixtures is rarely assessed to evaluate their applicability. This study presents the technical feasibility of an emerging covalent triazine framework (CTF) adsorbent with a high surface area (1226 m2 g−1) and nitrogen-rich triazine cores for OMP removal from water. The CTF adsorbent demonstrated ultrafast adsorption kinetics, with 85% removal of bisphenol A within 10 s, and was superior to activated carbon (AC) based on mass transfer and effective diffusion coefficients. It also exhibited remarkable durability by maintaining performance for 10 cycles without pore collapse and versatility by achieving above 99% removal of individual OMPs. However, in mixed OMP systems, the CTF exhibited a significant decline in adsorption kinetics, with the pseudo-second-order rate constant (k2) decreasing by up to 62.4-fold as compared to individual OMPs. Importantly, the presence of co-existing impurities in real water matrices inhibited both the instant and overall removal of mixed OMPs due to competitive adsorption and steric hindrance. This study is a concrete example of the significance of examining advanced polymeric adsorbents under environmentally relevant conditions.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Label-free mapping of ambient PM in human placental tissues using two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging with a dual-modality mask generation algorithm","authors":"Jiacheng Zhou,Yulan Wang,Yang Ning,Wenjia Zhao,Dongxia Fan,Duantao Hou,Yiyan Fei,Jiong Ma,Jinzhuo Zhao,Lan Mi","doi":"10.1039/d6en00334f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00334f","url":null,"abstract":"This study developed a label-free, high-resolution platform for environmental quantification of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in biological barriers, integrating two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (TP-FLIM) with a dual-modality mask generation (DMMG) algorithm. This approach enables in situ, label-free mapping, automated identification, and large-scale quantitative analysis of PM2.5 in biological tissues based on its intrinsic photophysical properties. The study reveals that urban PM2.5 exhibits a distinctive short fluorescence lifetime (τ ∼ 0.1–0.2 ns), which can be clearly distinguished from tissue autofluorescence lifetimes (τ ∼ several ns), enabling reliable and label-free detection suitable for submicron particle assessment in complex biological matrices. In model systems, PM2.5 deposition showed a dose-dependent correlation with environmental exposure levels. Notably, analysis of six human placental samples (five with intact barrier function and one pathological case of placenta increta) revealed a significant 5.0 ± 2.0-fold submicron PM2.5 density reduction on the fetal side in the intact group compared to the maternal side, providing direct visual evidence for the size-selective filtration function of the placental barrier. In contrast, the placenta increta case exhibited disrupted barrier integrity and loss of this maternal–fetal protective gradient, indicating increased fetal exposure risk. This work provides high-resolution, visual evidence for the biodistribution of ambient PM2.5 in human placental tissues, and establishes a powerful biomonitoring tool for characterizing environmental health risks associated with PM2.5 exposure.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a methodology for investigating the bioavailability of metal nanoparticles using single-particle and single-cell ICP-MS","authors":"Zuzanna Bieniek,Julita Nowosadko,Gabriela Ułanowicz,Agnieszka Żuchowska,Magdalena Matczuk,Monika Kupiec,Lena Ruzik","doi":"10.1039/d6en00325g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00325g","url":null,"abstract":"The increasing use of nanomaterials in agriculture raises concerns regarding their entry into the food chain and subsequent human exposure. In this study, the development of a methodology for determining the bioavailability of metal nanoparticles from edible plants has been described. The fate and intestinal bioavailability of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (FeNPs), which can be used in agriculture and may accumulate in plant tissues, were investigated using a combination of in vitro digestion and intestinal epithelial models. Following simulated INFOGEST digestion, FeNPs were exposed to differentiated Caco-2 cells cultured on Transwell® inserts. The speciation and distribution of iron were quantitatively characterised using ICP-MS/MS, single-particle ICP-MS/MS, single-cell ICP-MS/MS, and electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that digested FeNPs exhibit complex behaviour in the intestinal environment, including adsorption to epithelial surfaces, cellular internalisation, intracellular transformation, and transepithelial transport. Dissolution into ionic iron was limited in apical and basolateral compartments, whereas a pronounced increase in ionic iron was observed within cells, indicating partial intracellular dissolution. At the same time, a substantial fraction of iron retained its nanoparticulate form and underwent intracellular accumulation, aggregation or biochemical transformation. These findings demonstrate that iron nanoparticles can cross the intestinal epithelium both as ions and as intact or transformed nanoparticles, providing important insight into nanoscale processes governing bioavailability and nanosafety within the food chain.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanistic insights into manganese ferrite nanomaterials for improving tea quality: photosynthetic physiology, metabolic homeostasis, and rhizosphere microbiome","authors":"Le Yue,Luping Yang,Liping Kang,Liya Jiao,Jiayi Chen,Zhenggao Xiao,Xiaoli Zhang,Yan Feng,Zhenyu Wang","doi":"10.1039/d6en00297h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00297h","url":null,"abstract":"Tea encompasses a diverse range of bioactive compounds including theanine, catechins, and caffeine, which contribute to its rich flavor and salutary properties. Herein, the effects of manganese ferrite nanomaterials (MnFe2O4 NMs) on the yield and main bioactive components in Fuding Dabai (FDDB) tea were studied in a field experiment. 10 mg L−1 MnFe2O4 NMs boosted the tea yield (27.8%), theanine (73.7%), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, 9.6%), caffeine (128.1%), ester catechins (18.4%) and non-ester catechins (63.6%) in tea significantly. The photosynthesis in leaves was first enhanced after the foliar application of MnFe2O4 NMs, resulting in higher soluble sugar content (increased by 38.1%) to support the metabolic processes, e.g., the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, and glutamine/glutamic acid cycle. Meanwhile, the expressions of key biosynthesis genes for theanine and catechins were up-regulated by 27.6–412.9% with MnFe2O4 NM application, eventually improving theanine and catechin contents. Furthermore, MnFe2O4 NM application facilitated more sucrose from leaves to roots and led to a shift in the rhizosphere microbiota composition. In particular, the relative abundance of nitrogen-related microbiota (Acidibacter, Roseiarcus, Devosia and Mucilaginibacter) was increased by 38.4–95.5%, subsequently enhancing the utilization of ammonium nitrogen and improving the theanine levels in tea. Combined RDA, hierarchical partitioning, and correlation analyses showed that MnFe2O4 NM-induced changes in photosynthetic traits and functional metabolites were closely correlated with rhizosphere bacterial community restructuring, and photosynthetic parameters predominantly determined the variation in tea functional components. Our study proposed an effective approach for enhancing the nutritional quality and yield of tea through nano-based strategies.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rhamnolipids govern iron oxide nanoparticle deposition, mobility and release in subsurface-relevant aqueous systems – a QCM-D study","authors":"Anushree Ghosh,Changwoo Kim,Kurt D. Pennell,Natalie L. Cápiro,John D. Fortner","doi":"10.1039/d6en00274a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00274a","url":null,"abstract":"Biosurfactants such as rhamnolipids (RLs) are increasingly recognized as critical regulators of nanoparticle (NP) fate in natural and engineered subsurface systems. Here, we systematically evaluate how RL adsorption influences the deposition, mobility, and release behavior of surface-functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), using a library of IONPs with distinct coatings including CTAB (cationic), SDS (anionic), and oleic acid (anionic). Deposition kinetics were quantified on silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), and polystyrene (PS) surfaces across a range of ionic strengths (0–850 mM NaCl) using real-time quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). RL adsorption varied with surface type, with rigid, electrostatically bound monolayers formed on positively charged Al2O3, while softer, hydrated multilayers were observed on PS and SiO2. These interfacial films strongly modulated IONP deposition. On PS, CTAB-IONPs showed higher mean deposition on RL-predeposited surfaces, with the response depending on RL headgroup structure, whereas SDS- and oleic acid-coated IONPs showed enhanced mobility and partial desorption/restructuring of preadsorbed RL under salt-free conditions. In contrast, RL predeposition on Al2O3 significantly suppressed SDS-IONP deposition, decreasing attachment by nearly 170-fold at 10 mM NaCl. Classical DLVO theory could not fully account for these observations, suggesting the role of hydration, steric, and orientation-dependent interactions consistent with extended DLVO frameworks. RL preadsorption also altered the critical deposition concentration (CDC) of CTAB-IONPs, reducing it by nearly half. The addition of RLs also drove apparent release of pre-deposited anionic “soft-coated” NPs, consistent with surfactant-mediated remobilization. Taken together, these results show that biosurfactant-modified interfaces are dynamic regulators of nanoparticle retention, which is necessary for predicting IONP transport and designing remediation strategies in complex environmental media.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MOF/COF catalyst structure and multicomponent design: application in advanced oxidation processes for typical antibiotic wastewater treatment","authors":"Qiuyue Zhang,Hailan Qin,Shijiao Guo,Weiping Liao,Shukui Zhu","doi":"10.1039/d6en00373g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00373g","url":null,"abstract":"Environmental pollution caused by the extensive use and continuous discharge of antibiotics has attracted increasing attention. As typical emerging pollutants, antibiotics exhibit environmental persistence, biological toxicity, and the ability to promote the spread of antibiotic resistance. Traditional treatment technologies often fail to achieve their efficient removal and deep mineralization, creating an urgent need for efficient, green, and sustainable remediation strategies. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which can generate highly reactive oxygen species in situ, have shown great potential for controlling refractory antibiotic pollution. In recent years, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as important material platforms for antibiotic remediation because of their high specific surface areas, regular pore structures, designable frameworks, and abundant active sites. The adjustable metal nodes, open metal sites, and mixed-valence centers in MOFs favor oxidant activation and interfacial electron transfer, whereas COFs, with ordered π-conjugated structures, donor–acceptor frameworks, and programmable microenvironments, show unique advantages in light absorption regulation, charge separation, and selective oxidation pathway construction. This review systematically summarizes the design, synthesis, and functionalization strategies of MOFs/COFs, and discusses their applications and mechanisms in AOPs, including Fenton/Fenton-like processes, photocatalysis, ozonation, peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation, electrocatalysis, and sonocatalysis. Finally, key challenges such as structural stability, metal leaching, real-water adaptability, intermediate toxicity, and engineering scale-up are discussed, together with perspectives on rational material design, in situ mechanism analysis, and fixed-bed reactor applications.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"375 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanism of CuO NP-induced transition of into the VBNC state: physiological and transcriptomic insights","authors":"Xiaoshuai Zhang,Qi An,Tianyao Jiang,Hang Yuan,Jing Mo,Xiaomei Liao,Xiangyu Guan","doi":"10.1039/d6en00552g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00552g","url":null,"abstract":"The widespread application of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) has led to their accumulation in the environment, thereby raising general ecological concerns. In this study, CuO NPs were found to induce Staphylococcus aureus cells to enter the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. We integrated physiological assays with transcriptomic and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analyses to comprehensively characterize the molecular mechanism of bacterial responses to CuO NP exposure. This exposure caused cell membrane depolarization, the suppression of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and DNA damage. These effects resulted in metabolic suppression and promoted the transition into the VBNC state. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that the exposure to CuO NP triggered the downregulation of genes involved in protein synthesis and cell wall biogenesis, while simultaneously upregulating pathways associated with stress response, including quorum sensing and two-component systems. These synergistic responses suggested a dual strategy of energy conservation and enhanced defense in bacteria under CuO NP stress. PPI network analysis further revealed that the suppression of ribosomal functions coupled with the activation of cell wall repair-associated modules formed a molecular framework conducive to the induction of the VBNC state. In the natural environment, the CuO NP-induced VBNC state represents an adaptive survival strategy under adverse conditions. This study provides molecular- and network-level insights into the regulatory mechanisms of bacterial survival under nanoparticle stress, offering important implications for assessing the ecological risks and environmental safety of nanomaterials.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"145 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biologically mediated formation of Cd/Te-containing nanostructures in earthworms: a multimodal characterisation","authors":"Norah Alkhayyal,Shirwa Awale,Carl Hobbs,Simon Fairclough,Klaus Suhling,Mark Green,Stephen Stürzenbaum","doi":"10.1039/d6en00395h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6en00395h","url":null,"abstract":"The biologically mediated formation of semiconductor nanostructures exhibiting quantum-dot-like optical properties offers a potentially sustainable route to producing functional nanomaterials. In this study, we investigate the formation of Cd/Te-containing nanostructures with quantum-dot-like optical features produced in vivo by the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta following exposure to cadmium chloride and potassium tellurite. Using an integrative suite of techniques, we provide a multimodal characterisation of these biogenic Cd/Te-containing nanostructures, elucidating their structural, optical, and biological features. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed electron-dense Cd/Te-containing nanoscale particles with well-defined morphology, averaging 9.5 ± 3.7 nm in chloragogenous tissue and 5.5 ± 1.8 nm in coelomic fluid. Elemental mapping identified co-localised cadmium and tellurium accumulation across multiple biological compartments, coinciding with metallothionein-II gene induction (up to ∼47-fold in the chloragogenous tissue) as well as a marked increase in protein expression. Photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated dual fluorescence peaks at 422 nm and 522 nm, providing optical features consistent with nanoparticle-associated emission, although these data alone do not confirm quantum confinement. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy revealed modest lifetime shifts consistent with nanoparticle-associated emission, while also indicating substantial contributions from biological autofluorescence. This study advances current understanding by linking metal detoxification pathways with nanoparticle formation in vivo and by extending observations of biosynthesis beyond previously reported tissues, highlighting the capacity of earthworms to mediate the formation of Cd/Te-containing nanostructures in vivo, providing a basis for future investigations of biologically mediated nanomaterial synthesis. Our findings further suggest that biologically mediated nanoparticle formation may influence the environmental fate and transformation of metal contaminants in soil ecosystems and may inform future research into bioimaging, environmental sensing, and biologically inspired nanotechnology.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards a safe nanotechnology: strategies for minimizing risks of potentially harmful nanoparticles","authors":"Camilla Delpivo,Virginia Cazzagon,Ilaria Zanoni,Simon Clavaguera,Nathan Bossa,Socorro Vazquez-Campos,Anna Luisa Costa,Felice C. Simeone","doi":"10.1039/d5en00991j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00991j","url":null,"abstract":"In the last years, the massive production of nano-enabled products has raised concerns about potential hazardous effects of nanoforms on humans and, broadly, on the environment. On these grounds, a broad spectrum of stakeholders (manufacturers, researchers, regulators, policy makers) has advocated the adoption of the safety-by-design (SbD) approach for the production of nanomaterials and nano-enabled products. The characteristic of SbD is the assessment and minimization of risks in the design phase of a nano-enabled product, in sharp contrast with conventional risk assessment and management that evaluates and manages safety only after a product has been realized or even marketed. The hurdles in implementing the SbD scheme in nanotechnology come mostly from limited information available at an early stage of materials and product development. This work is framed within the safety by design (SbD) paradigm, which represents the foundational layer of the broader safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) framework proposed by the OECD. The analysis of existing knowledge, however, makes it possible to formulate, on the basis of the physical–chemical characteristics of the nanoparticles and nano-enabled products, hypotheses about the most probable sources of risks (hazards and/or release), which will inform, up front, about physical and chemical transformations that lead to safer materials and products. In addition to a catalogue of these physical chemical modifications, this paper proposes a decision process to identify the most appropriate transformations that minimize risks while preserving the technical function of the nanoforms. The connection of these physical–chemical transformations with outcomes of toxicological assays and release tests provides a powerful tool for checking the effectiveness of the SbD strategy adopted.","PeriodicalId":73,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science: Nano","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.131,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}