Skip to main content
Skip header

Nanomaterials and Environment

Type of study BachelorFollow-up Master
Language of instruction Czech
Code 546-0189/01
Abbreviation NZP
Course title Nanomaterials and Environment
Credits 2
Coordinating department Department of Environmental Engineering
Course coordinator Mgr. Oldřich Motyka, Ph.D.

Subject syllabus

1. Specifics of nanomaterials regarding the environment: Presence in the environment, naturally-occurring and anthropogenic nanomaterials, mechanical and chemical properties of nanomaterials with impact on the environment.
2. Nanomaterials in the environment: Hydrosphere, basic definitions, hydrosphere in the context of other ecospheres, specifics of threat to water ecosystems and their protection. Leakage of the nanomaterials into the water environment and its risks.
3. Nanomaterials in the environment: Pedosphere, basic definitions, pedosphere in the context of other ecospheres, specifics of thethreat to soil ecosystems and their protection. Leakage of the nanomaterials into the soil environment and its risks.
4. Nanomaterials in the environment: Atmosphere, basic definitions, atmosphere in the context of other ecospheres, specifics of the threat to the atmosphere and its protection. Leakage of the nanomaterials into the air and its risks.
5. Monitoring: Technical monitoring, overview of the basic tools for concentration and size measurement in water and air. Measurement of nanomaterial worker exposure.
6. Monitoring: Biomonitoring, bioindication, active and passive biomonitoring, temporal and spatial scale of biomonitoring, biomonitoring using plants, animals and other organisms, nanoparticle biomonitoring.
7. Toxicity assessment: Exposure, dose, oxidative stress, genotoxicity and ecotoxicity testing, LD50, teratogenicity, reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity. Methods of toxicity assessment.
8. Nanomaterial risks to autotrophic organisms: Uptake of the nanoparticles – root and shoot, nanomaterial distribution and translocation in the organism, known ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of nanomaterials to plants, physiological stress, effect on photosynthesis.
9. Nanomaterial risks to heterotrophic organisms: Uptake of the nanoparticles: body surface, digestion, inhalation, nanomaterial distribution and translocation in the organism, known ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of nanomaterials to heterotrophic organisms, effect on behaviour.
10. Nanomaterial risks to human health: Uptake of the nanoparticles: digestive system, skin, respiration system, acute and chronic toxicity. Systemic and local toxicity of the nanomaterials.
11. Nanomaterial pollution prevention: Overview of the fundamental legislation, production leakage prevention, best available techniques (BAT), reduction of nanomaterials by-products, filters.
12. Environmental pollution removal: decontamination, remediation, pollution removal from water, soil and air. Specifics of nano-pollution removal.
13. Environmental applications of nanomaterials: Benefits and risks of nanomaterial application in the environment, sorption, catalytic nanomaterials, treatment of water, soil and air, possibilities of nanomaterial applications in the environmental protection in the future.

Literature

SHATKIN, Jo Anne. Nanotechnology: health and environmental risks. Second edition. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. ISBN 978-1439881750 ;
SIDDIQUI, Manzer H., Mohamed H. AL-WHAIBI and Firoz MOHAMMAD, ed. Nanotechnology and plant sciences. First edition. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-3-319-14501-3.
KOLE, Chittaranjan, D. Sakthi KUMAR and Mariya V. KHODAKOVSKAYA, ed. Plant Nanotechnology: Principles and Practices. First edition. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978-3-319-42152-0.

Advised literature

TIQUIA-ARASHIRO, Sonia M. and Debora FRIGI RODRIGUES, ed. Extremophiles: Applications in Nanotechnology. New York, NY: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2016. ISBN 978-3-319-45214-2 ;
PRASAD, Ram, Vivek KUMAR and Manoj KUMAR, ed. Nanotechnology: Food and Environmental Paradigm. Springer Singapore, 2017. ISBN 978-981-10-4677-3 ;
RAI, Mahendra a Nelson DURAN, ed. Metal nanoparticles in microbiology. Heidelberg: Springer, 2011. ISBN 978-364-2183-119 ;
HURST PETROSKO, Sarah and Emily S. DAY. Biomedical nanotechnology: methods and protocols. Second edition. New York: Humana Press, 2017. Springer protocols (Series), 1570. ISBN 978-1-4939-6838-1 ;