âGreenâ nanomaterials for soil remediation â Part I:Fundamentals and metrics of green nanotechnology

The effects of environmental pollution on planetary health have led to a growing interest in implementing sustainable remediation processes, which a high efficiency for eliminating recalcitrant substances and a null production of cross-pollution should ideally characterize.In this ambit, nanomaterials synthesized from green chemistry principles emerge as an alternative for developing eco-friendly technological strategies.Nonetheless, the green chemistry design framework is based on qualitative principles.It does not present quantitative equivalents that allow objective defining when it is suitable to denominate a nanotechnological process as "green."This situation has led in nanoscience and nanotechnology that the green adjective commonly refers to syntheses carried out through biologically based nanotechnological methods without considering their net ecological impact out-lab conditions.Therefore, it is necessary to consider a more rigorous conceptual framework for green nanotechnology, as well as establish how to measure its sustainability and environmental impact from the synthesis to the final disposal of the so-called "green" nanomaterials.For that, this review focuses on "green" nanomaterials, including fundamental and synthetic aspects, and includes an analysis of the quantitative assessment from green chemistry and sustainability criteria.