Uptake and bioaccumulation of titanium- and silver-nanoparticles in aquatic ecosystems

Metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) such as silver (Ag) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) are widely used in industrial and household applications. Because of the increasing use of such manufactured NPs and their release into the natural environment, NPs are likely to have a widespread geographic distribution. Concerns over discharge of considerable amounts of these NPs into the environment are increasing. Although recent studies have raised concerns about the health risks and environmental impacts of NPs, little is known about their environmental fate and behavior, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, which is the final destination of NPs due to precipitation and runoff. In this review, we discuss possible routes of environmental exposure as well as the occurrence, behavior, and bioaccumulation of Ag-NPs and TiO₂-NPs in the environment.