Dissolution of nanoparticles (NPs) determines the fate and subsequently the actual exposure of the NPs to organisms. Whether and to what extent NPs dissolve or remain in their particulate form in aqueous media is thus of pivotal knowledge for the safety assessments of NPs. In this research, secondary data on dissolution of NPs was systematically collected. A range of dissolution rates could be recalculated, as dependent on the characteristics of the NPs and the exposure medium. For example, two nanoparticles which are identical in terms of composition and coating, had a fully different dissolution behaviour, as subject to differ¬ent surface modifications. A model was derived for calculating dissolution rate constants of NPs, as based on the initial kinetics of dissolution of NPs under different exposure scenarios and assuming pseudo-first order reaction kinetics at the particle surface. Characterizing the dissolution rates and the parameters which modify dissolution allows for grouping of those NPs that dissolve either very slowly or very quickly. This information can be used for risk assessment of NPs, and will ultimately allow for prediction of the dissolution kinetics of newly developed nanomaterials.

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