The consequences that engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) may cause in the environment have been under investigation for more than 15 years. Hundreds of millions of euros/dollars have been invested into safety issues of ENMs, and much progress has been made in the understanding of their fate and effects in the environment. After an initial phase of “observing the effects,” research has shifted toward elucidating the mechanisms of fate and ecotoxicological effects. This also included a stronger focus on exposure issues and the development of analytical methods and computational models to predict exposure. First environmental risk assessments for ENM were performed, and much progress has been achieved on the way to nanospecific and material‐specific assessments. The release of ENM from products and their transformation in technical and natural compartments profoundly affect the form in which the ENMs are present in the environment. A crucial aspect in all areas is if there are truly nanospecific issues of the novel‐added functionalities of ENM that are different from dissolved metals, larger particles, or natural particles. This review outlines progress in understanding the environmental dimensions of ENMs and areas that merit further investigation: To what extent are ENMs different from their natural counterparts and how “long” do we need to track them in natural and technical systems? A major challenge will be in developing methods for studying particle‐mediated processes and their effects on ecosystems and organisms in a more general sense, going beyond just ENM, for example, to natural nanoparticles, microplastics, and extracellular vesicles.

中文翻译：

---

工程纳米材料在环境中的暴露和可能的风险—当前的知识和未来的方向

工程纳米材料（ENM）可能对环境造成的后果已经进行了15年以上的研究。在ENMs的安全问题上已经投入了数亿欧元/美元，在了解它们在环境中的命运和影响方面已经取得了很大进展。在“观察影响”的初始阶段之后，研究已转向阐明命运和生态毒理作用的机制。这还包括更加关注暴露问题以及开发用于预测暴露的分析方法和计算模型。首次进行了ENM的环境风险评估，在纳米特异性和材料特异性评估的方法上已经取得了很大进展。从产品中释放出ENM以及它们在技术和天然隔室中的转化深刻影响着ENM在环境中的存在形式。在所有领域的关键方面是如果确实存在与溶解金属，较大颗粒或天然颗粒不同的ENM新增功能的纳米特有问题。这篇综述概述了在理解ENMs的环境维度和值得进一步研究的领域方面的进展：ENMs与自然对应物在多大程度上不同，我们需要在自然和技术系统中追踪它们多少时间？一个主要的挑战将是开发方法来研究粒子介导的过程及其在更一般意义上对生态系统和生物的影响，不仅限于ENM，还包括天然的纳米颗粒，微塑料和细胞外囊泡。