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The ecotoxicity of graphene family materials: current status, knowledge gaps and future needs

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Abstract

Recently, graphene family materials (GFMs) have been introduced among all fields of science and still get numerous attention. Also, the applicability of these materials in many areas makes them very attractive. GFMs have attracted both academic and industrial interest as they can produce a dramatic improvement in materials properties at very low filler content. The aim of this review is to identify, summarize, and present the first available information on the influence of GFMs on soil and water environment as well as identify the knowledge gaps and indicate the directions for the next generation of the original scientific investigations. The paper also presents our first preliminary impact assessment and potential pathways of GFMs distribution in the environment. We used as an example the reduced graphene oxide/Al2O3 nanocomposite (RGO/Al2O3) that has been previously designed and synthesized by us. Authors believe that further work should focus on improvement of characterization methodology applicable for ecotoxicity analyses and possible interactions between GFMs and different living ecosystems. Consequently, the potential impact of graphene and its derivatives on environmental health is a matter of academic interest. However, potential hazards sufficient for risk assessment and concerned with GFMs usage in consumer products first need to be investigated and identified. Further research should focus on gathering knowledge on GFMs properties for life cycle analyses, which still poses a great challenge for scientists.

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Acknowledgments

The study was accomplished thanks to the funds allotted by the National Science Centre within the framework of the research project No UMO-2013/09/D/ST8/04001. This work has also been supported by the European Union in the framework of European Social Fund through the Warsaw University of Technology Development Programme, realized by Center for Advanced Studies.

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  1. Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Woloska 141, 02-507, Warsaw, Poland

    Agnieszka Maria Jastrzębska & Andrzej Roman Olszyna

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  1. Agnieszka Maria Jastrzębska
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Correspondence to Agnieszka Maria Jastrzębska.

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Jastrzębska, A.M., Olszyna, A.R. The ecotoxicity of graphene family materials: current status, knowledge gaps and future needs. J Nanopart Res 17, 40 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2817-0

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