The recent explosion in nanotechnology research has resulted in the synthesis of a range of novel materials often processing unique properties that have yet to be understood. As environmental scientists, we are asking and looking for answers to following questions: What will happen when these nanomaterials enter our air, soil, and water? What are the health effects of these materials? What are their transport pathway and fate in the environment?

Recent sucesses in dispersing fullerenes and carbon nanotubes necessitates investigations into toxicity of these cytotoxicity of fullerene aggregates (nano-C60). While results of toxicity studies start appearing in the literature, the question of removal of nanoparticles from water seems to have not been addressed at all. Hybrid ozonation-membrane filtration system offers the possibility of separation by filtration and removal by ozonolysis of aggregated fullerenes from water. Reaction between ozone and C60 (fullerene ozonolysis) has been shown to follow the general second order reaction rate which is valid for all the reactions between ozone and unsaturated olefinic bonds. The effect of ozone on fullerene aggregates has not been studied and will be addressed in this research