University of Birmingham - Tiny threats and opportunities

Scientists have won £3 million from the research councils and the government to study the environmental effects of nanoparticles found in products such as clothing and cosmetics. The University of Birmingham researchers will study the environmental pathways of the particles through the sewerage system, as well as their toxicity and absorption into a range of organisms. Jamie Lead, reader in aquatic chemistry at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the project leader, said nanoparticles were materials with great potential importance, but they "may also pose novel hazards to the environment".