EES Seminar – Understanding Release Dynamics of Nanoparticles from Coated Surfaces, Justin Clar, Elon U.

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Continued research in nanoscience and nanotechnology has resulted in a variety of “nano-enabled” products current available for consumer purchase. As more nanoparticle (NP) based products are available for consumer use, the risk of NP release from these products substantially increases. Currently, relative few studies have examined the release of NPs from consumer products, especially based on realistic use scenarios. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the potential exposure concentrations to consumers during the product use phase. Moreover, additional attention must be given to the form of the material released (i.e., particulate vs ionic release) for adequate risk assessment. This talk will summarize the current understanding of NP and NP degradation materials release from coated surfaces based on research conducted by the U.S. EPA, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Elon University. Particular attention has been paid to characterize both likely exposure concentrations and speciation (i.e., particulate vs ionic) of releases materials from coated surfaces in both intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse applications.

Dr. Clar received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Richmond in 2006. After serving with AmeriCorps, he attended the University of Florida, earning his MS in 2010, studying arsenic mobilization during Aquifer Storage and Recovery Operations. Excited by the growth of nanoscience and nanotechnology, he remained at UF earning his PhD in 2014 studying the environmental implications of carbon-based nanotechnology and processing with Dr. Jean-Claude Bonzongo and Dr. Kirk Ziegler. After leaving UF, he worked as an ORISE Postdoctoral Participant at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Cincinnati OH. Dr. Clar joined the Chemistry Faculty at Elon University in the Fall of 2016 and continues to work on projects focused on nanomaterials for advanced water treatment, and tracking the release of Nanomaterials from Consumer Products under Environmentally Relevant Conditions