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Considering their antimicrobial, electrical and optical properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most common type of engineered nanomaterials found in consumer products. AgNPs may be synthesized through multiple methods, including chemical, biological and physical techniques; however, literature suggests that the manufacturers prefer to use physical and chemical methods (85 %) rather than biological. This work presents cradle-to-gate life cycle impact assessments in order to evaluate global environmental impacts of six different AgNPs synthesis routes (two chemical and four physical) along with thirteen different inventories and a mass based functional unit of 1 kg of AgNPs. Results are then combined with the annual global AgNPs production estimates, and global environmental impact calculations are performed based on both optimistic and skeptical estimations. Since AgNPs production volumes …