Recent advances in the separation and quantification of metallic nanoparticles and ions in the environment

Nanosized materials such as metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) are currently used in industrial and consumer products, and concomitantly, their release into the environment is becoming a major concern because of their enhanced negative impacts on living organisms. Currently, studies are being conducted on the detection of trace and environmental levels of these materials, identification of sources, distribution, fate, and toxicological effects of these materials in nature, and also standardization of protocols for reliable risk assessment. Despite the efforts made so far, there is still a lack of sensitive and selective analytical platforms to enable the monitoring of ultratrace MNPs in their original states and discriminate between the NP and NP-containing ions in complex matrices. The current review describes the recent advances in the separation and quantification of MNPs with an emphasis on the species selectivity of the available techniques and their applicability to environmental samples.