Gregory V. Lowry Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Deputy Director-Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT) Carnegie Mellon University Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dr. Gregory V. Lowry is an Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. He is the Deputy Director of the NSF Center for Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT). Professor Lowry received his PhD at Stanford University in 2000 in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering (University of California-Davis) and an M.S. degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

Dr. Lowry develops and tests reactive nanomaterials for is situ groundwater remediation and contaminant source zone treatment. His work has improved understanding of environmental factors affecting the reactivity and effectiveness of Fe0 nanoparticles for groundwater remediation. His work on nanoparticle surface coatings has improved Fe0 emplacement techniques and has identified factors affecting the mobility of reactive nanomaterials in the environment. He continues research in the area of sustainable development of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies, including the fate, mobility, and toxicity of nanomaterials in the environment, remediation/treatment technologies employing nanomaterials, and nanoparticle-contaminant/biota interactions.

Professor Lowry is currently editing a special issue of Journal of Environmental Quality dedicated to the effects of engineered nanomaterials on environmental processes. He has developed a new course entitled "Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology" for graduate and undergraduates students, and is developing a new graduate curriculum aimed at training Ph.D. students at the interface of nanotechnology, the environment, and public policy.

Presentation Description
Nanotechnology and the Potential Impacts on the Environment
Nanotechnology holds promise to benefit society in the areas of energy, medicine, and the environment to name just a few. The growth of the nanotechnology industry and the increasing use of manufactured nanomaterials in consumer products will ultimately lead to their appearance in the biosphere. Thus, it is prudent to determine the potential risks that these anthropogenic compounds, especially those without natural analogs, may pose to the environment and human health. The risks that these materials may pose result from both exposures to the materials and to the negative effects that they may cause in an organism. Both are needed to pose a risk. I will present an overview of nanotechnology and the potential positive impacts on the environment including beneficial uses, e.g. Fe0 nanoparticles for groundwater remediation, and the potential negative ecological effects, e.g. bactericidal properties. I will focus on the role of engineered and acquired surface coatings on fate and transport of nanomaterials in the environment, hence exposure potential, and on their potential toxicity, hence negative effects. Existing data suggests that engineered or acquired macromolecular surface coatings on nanoparticles control their reactivity and their aggregation and deposition behavior in the environment, and influences the toxicological response of mammalian cells and E. coli. Since virtually all nanoparticles in the environment have some type of macromolecular coating due to their high surface activity, these coatings cannot be ignored. The coatings may in fact be used to control transport, reactivity, and toxicity of NPs intentionally released to the environment for remediation, e.g. Fe0 nanoparticles. A fundamental understanding of how the surface coatings affect nanoparticle reactivity and behavior in the environment is one step towards sustainable development of nanotechnology. This "green" approach to nanotechnology development aims at enabling society to reap the benefits of nanotechnology while incurring the lowest level of unintended consequences to the environment and to human health.