. . . . . . . . . .    ANM 2010     3rd International Conference on Advanced Nano Materials     12-15 September 2010 - Agadir, Morocco Back    Abstract ANMM285 NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY Barbara Karn US EPA, Office of Research and Development, NCER . New nanomaterials are being developed for energy applications.  Many of these nanomaterials contain less common elements from the periodic table.  Since there have not been prior large scale commercial uses of these elements, little is known about their implications and interactions with living organisms and their flows through the environment.  Even less is known about their sustainability.  At least sixty of the elements on the periodic table are now available commercially at the nanoscale.  These nano-scaled elements could all end up in products that allow the element to pass into systems that interact with living organisms.  While many of these elements are common, e.g., carbon, copper, iron, gold, some are rare in the earth's crust, e.g., gallium, iridium, and still very rare in commerce. Some elements are present in living organisms, some serving vital biochemical functions.  However, others are present and tolerated only in minute concentrations.  This paper discusses the human health, environmental, and sustainability implications of using these uncommon elements in commercial nanomaterials. I will discuss broad implications of all uncommon elements now proposed for commerce.  This includes their geographic distribution, abundance, impacts of extraction, effects on living organisms, and life cycle impacts.  Elements proposed for energy applications will be discussed more in detail such as their current known reserves, supply and demand, the uses of the element in products, possible end of life issues, toxicity and exposure routes.  I will relate the use of these elements to the three aspects of sustainability-environmental, societal, and economic. Environmental issues will be examined from a life cycle perspective with discussions about the known interactions of these elements with living organisms and how they might flow through ecosystems.  Societal aspects include the human cultures affected by various life stages in the material flow such as the mining impact on land use and environmental quality, changes in behavior caused by new products, how the products might affect communications.  Economic issues could be positive for those areas rich in the element or with manufacturing capabilities or negative in other areas if the element proves to be essential for necessary nanoproducts, particularly those with medical uses. While this paper will raise more questions than it answers, I hope to raise the consciousness of researchers to be aware of some not-so-obvious systems implications of using rare elements in nanomaterials so that they can prevent or minimize any foreseeable harmful impacts. . © nanoAC . . . . . . . . . .

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