Science of the Total Environment 408 (2010) 5688–5689

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Science of the Total Environment

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Best Paper Award 2008/2009

Every other year, the editors of STOTEN select the outstandingpaper(s) published in the journal which should be accordedthe recognition of “Best Paper(s)”. The selection is based on(i) personal assessments and recommendations by individual editorsand (ii) independent download information provided by the publish-ers. Each editor is then asked to select four papers from the compiledshort list and rank them from 1 (best) to 4. The votes are tallied tocome up with an overall winner and two runners-up. In 2008 and2009, a little over 1350 papers were published in STOTEN, hence it isquite a privilege to singled out as the best among this outstandinggroup of articles. The editors use this opportunity to compliment theauthors of the winning paper.

We are happy to announce that winning paper for the two-yearperiod 2008/2009 is:

Manufactured nanoparticles: An overview of their chemistry, interac-tions and potential environmental implications by Yon Ju-Nam and JamieR. Lead. Sci Total Environ 2008; 400(1–3): 396–414. Both authors areaffiliated with the Division of Environmental Health and Risk Manage-ment, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences,University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have always been present in the environmentand at high concentrations compared with likely concentrations ofmanufactured NPs. In particular, the aquatic environment contains awide variety of natural NPs (colloids) made up of iron and manganeseoxyhydroxides, aluminosilicates, humic substances, and biogenicmaterials. Although the deleterious effects of natural NPS are not indoubt, manufactured NPs have attracted special attention because oftheir novelty in terms of their highly structured nature and activitycompared to natural NPs. The worldwide attention that NPs arereceiving from governments, industry and researchers has led to amushrooming of papers on the effects of nanoparticles on humanhealth and in ecotoxicology, about mechanisms of biological uptakeand modes of toxicity, transport in and between environmental andbiological compartments and their chemical behavior in the environ-ment. The divergent information is published in a large number ofjournals in different fields, hence making it difficult to get a goodgrasp of recent advancements. This paper provides a timely andcritical assessment of the available literature on chemistry of naturaland manufactured NPs in both the laboratory and aquatic andterrestrial environments. This paper summarizes what we currentlyknow about the physical–chemical properties carbon nanotubes,fullerenes, metal oxide nanoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, as wellas natural aquatic colloids and nanoparticles. It discusses theinteractions betweenmanufactured nanoparticles and natural aquaticcolloids and highlights the important role of complex interactions

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.05.007

between natural colloids (especially the humic substances) andmanufactured NPs in moderating the environmental behavior andfate of these materials. The paper reviews the recent methods that areused for the detection and characterization of NPs including their sizedistribution, specific surface area, shape and chemical composition. Itprovides the reader with a good compilation of critical references andbalanced assessment of what is known on the topic and areas thatneed further work. The paper points out that limitations in our abilityto quantify the concentrations of NPs in the environment (at naturallevels) is an immediate research priority in terms of providingbaseline data on which to benchmark further studies. We recognizethe benchmark paper by Yon Ju-Nam and Jamie Lead for the detailedand critical assessment of the physical–chemical properties ofnanoparticles which should serve as a guidepost for future researchto improve our understanding of the adverse effects of thesematerialsfrom the perspective of environmental protection and to ensure thelong term sustainability of the nanotechnology industry.

We are also happy to announce the following runner-up papers forthe award:

A national reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals and other organicwastewater contaminants in the United States — II: Untreateddrinking water sources, by Michael J. Focazio, Dana W. Kolpin,Kimberlee K. Barnes, Edward T. Furlong, Michael T. Meyer, StevenD. Zaugg, Larry B. Barber, and Michael E. Thurmand. The authors areall affiliated with the US Geological Survey but in different offices ofthis agency.

Effects of experimental CO2 leakage on solubility and transport ofseven trace metals in seawater and sediment, by Murat V. Ardelan, EilivSteinnes, Syverin Lierhagen, and Sven Ove Linde. Science of the TotalEnvironment 2009; 407: 6255–6266. The first three authors areaffiliated with Norwegian University of Science and Technology,Department of Chemistry, NO 7491,Trondheim, Norway and the lastauthor (Linde) is with the Norwegian University of Science andTechnology, Department of Biology, Trondheim Biological Station, NO7491-Trondheim, Norway.

Previous winners of the best paper award2004/2005

Recent climate change in the Arctic and its impact on contaminantpathways and interpretation of temporal trend data, by Macdonald, RW,Harner TT, Fyfe J., Science of the Total Environment 2005; 342: 5-86.The authors are affiliated with Department of Fisheries and Oceans,Sydney, British Columbia (BC), Canada; Environment Canada, Downs-view, Ontario; and Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis,Victoria, BC, Canada.

5689Best Paper Award 2008/2009

2006/2007Environmental costs of mercury pollution, by Hylander LD and

Goodsite ME., Science of the Total Environment 2006; 368:352–370.The authors are affiliated with the Department of Earth Sciences, Air

and Water Science, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, and theDepartment of Chemistry, University of Southern Denmark, Odense,Denmark, respectively.