The interaction mechanisms of co-existing polybrominated diphenyl ethers and engineered nanoparticles in environmental waters:A critical review

This review focuses on the occurrence and interactions of engineered nanoparticles(ENPs)and brominated flame retardants(BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs)in water systems and the generation of highly complex compounds in the environment.The release of ENPs and BFRs(e.g. PBDEs) to aquatic environments during their usage and disposal are summarised together with their key interaction mechanisms. The major interaction mechanisms including electrostatic, van der Waals, hydrophobic, ...     

纳米颗粒的危害及在水体中的去除研究进展

纳米颗粒具有独特的物理化学性质且种类较多,广泛应用于多个领域.在使用的同时,纳米颗粒不可避免地通过各种途径进入水环境中,进而对生物及人类造成危害.针对近来出现的纳米颗粒,介绍了其对环境的影响及在水体中的主要去除方法,并展望了水环境中纳米颗粒的研究方向.     

Susceptibility of the freshwater pulmonate snail Lymnea luteola L. to copper oxide nanoparticle

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONP) are among the most widely used engineered nanoparticles and thus likely to permate the environment predominantly in sediments. The present study was designed to examine the adverse effects of CuONP in freshwater snail Lymnea luteola L. (L. luteola) exposed for 5 days. Induction of oxidative stress in digestive gland was evidenced by a decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) whereas lipid peroxidation levels were increased at CuONP 7 or 21 µg/L. Superoxide dismutase activity was numerically higher at lower concentration of CuONP at 1 day but significantly decreased at 5 days. Catalase activity was reduced at 2 days but elevated at lower concentration of CuONP at 5 days. DNA impairment was noted in L. luteola based upon comet assay findings and expressed in terms of % tail DNA and olive tail moment. Results indicate that interaction of CuONP with snail produces toxicity, which is mediated by oxidative stress.     

Cytogenetic studies of chromium (III) oxide nanoparticles on Allium cepa root tip cells

The current study evaluates the cytogenetic effects of chromium (III) oxide nanoparticles on the root cells of Allium cepa. The root tip cells of A. cepa were treated with the aqueous dispersions of Cr₂O₃ nanoparticles (NPs) at five different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg/mL) for 4 hr. The colloidal stability of the nanoparticle suspensions during the exposure period were ascertained by particle size analyses. After 4 hr exposure to Cr₂O₃ NPs, a significant decrease in mitotic index (MI) from 35.56% (Control) to 35.26% (0.01 μg/mL), 34.64% (0.1 μg/mL), 32.73% (1 μg/mL), 29.6% (10 μg/mL) and 20.92% (100 μg/mL) was noted. The optical, fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopic analyses demonstrated specific chromosomal aberrations such as—chromosome stickiness, chromosome breaks, laggard chromosome, clumped chromosome, multipolar phases, nuclear notch, and nuclear bud at different exposure concentrations. The concentration-dependent internalization/bio-uptake of Cr₂O₃ NPs may have contributed to the enhanced production of anti oxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase to counteract the oxidative stress, which in turn resulted in observed chromosomal aberrations and cytogenetic effects. These results suggest that A. cepa root tip assay can be successfully applied for evaluating environmental risk of Cr₂O₃ NPs over a wide range of concentrations.     

纳米材料对环境中微生物活性的影响研究

研究纳米材料对环境中微生物细胞活性的影响可为纳米材料的生物安全性评价提供一定的理论基础.以大肠杆菌和枯草芽孢杆菌为受试生物,采用电导率仪测定细菌培养液电导率变化,分别研究了纳米TiO2、纳米ZnO、纳米Fe3O4、纳米SiO2、纳米二氧化钛载银、纳米磷酸锆载银、纳米棕色银对细菌细胞膜通透性的影响.结果表明,纳米材料对革兰氏阳性枯草芽孢杆菌细胞活性影响更大;同种纳米材料,粒径越小,对细菌的细胞活性影响越强;对细菌细胞活性影响最大的是纳米棕色银,对细菌细胞活性影响最小的是纳米SiO2和Fe3O4.     

纳米Ag粒子原位杂化PVDF超滤膜的抗污染性能

以AgNO3为前驱体,聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)为聚合物基体,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)为分散剂和成孔剂,N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)为还原剂和溶剂,利用相转化法制备了纳米Ag粒子原位杂化PVDF超滤膜.采用扫描电镜、透射电镜、原子力显微镜及接触角测定仪对杂化膜的结构和性能进行了表征.结果表明:原位形成的纳米Ag粒子均匀地分散在聚合物基体中,纳米Ag粒子的添加改善了PVDF膜的亲水性能.以腐殖酸和牛血清蛋白作为污染物的代表,考察了Ag/PVDF膜的抗有机污染性能.以大肠杆菌、耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌及活性污泥作为微生物的代表,考察了杂化膜的抗生物污染性能.结果证实了与纯PVDF膜相比,Ag/PVDF膜通量衰减较慢,可有效抑制微生物的生长,表面受活性污泥污染程度小,具有显著的抗有机污染和抗生物污染性能.     

纳米颗粒原位植入法制备改性超滤膜及其抗生物污染性能研究

选取氧化铝分散体(Al2O3)、Linde A型沸石(LTA)、Linde L型沸石(LTL)和X型八面沸石(FAU-X)4种纳米颗粒,采用原位植入的方法对超滤膜进行表面改性,以提高聚砜超滤膜的抗生物污染性能.通过扫描电子显微镜、接触角测定、抗生物污染性能测试等方法来表征改性前后膜结构和性能的变化.结果表明,纳米颗粒在膜表面的原位植入具有其可行性,该方法只改变超滤膜的表面形貌,对断面和底面的结构没有影响;纳米颗粒原位植入法改性后,超滤膜的亲水性有显著提高.就抗生物污染性能而言,纳米颗粒的植入提高了膜的抗粘附性能,在纳米颗粒覆盖的区域没有大肠杆菌粘附生长;在这4种膜中,UF-LTA和UF-LTL膜的抗粘附性能优于UF-Al2O3和UF-FAU-X膜.相较而言,LTA型沸石在膜表面分散效果良好,原位植入后显著改善了膜的亲水性并且表现出较好的抗粘附性能,可作为理想的材料用于下一步研究.但LTA型沸石的抗水流剪切的能力较弱,要想提高该种纳米颗粒在膜表面的结合牢固性,应考虑减小颗粒的粒径.     

Bio-mediated silver nanoparticle synthesis: mechanism and microbial inactivation

Even though plenty of literature is available on the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles, there are serious lacunae on the mechanisms of their formation. In the present study, the mechanism of formation of mono-crystalline silver nanoparticles using a fruit extract of the ornamental tree Thevetia peruviana is emphasized, i.e. how the pH of the reaction mixture affected reaction kinetics and size of the nanoparticles. The facilitation of formation of Ag₂O at higher pH resulted in a faster rate of particle formation. The diameter of the bare particles at neutral pH determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy and the hydrodynamic diameter determined by dynamic light scattering were 53 and 104 nm, respectively. The silver nanoparticles exhibited good inactivation of Escherichia coli due to participation of free radicals as evidenced by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.     

Determination of the mechanism of photoinduced toxicity of selected metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO, CuO, Co3O4 and TiO2) to E. coli bacteria

Cytotoxicity of selected metal oxide nanoparticles(MNPs)(ZnO,CuO,Co 3 O 4 and TiO 2)was investigated in Escherichia coli both under light and dark conditions.Cytotoxicity experiments were conducted with spread plate counting and the LC 50 values were calculated.We determined the mechanism of toxicity via measurements of oxidative stress,reduced glutathione,lipid peroxidation,and metal ions.The overall ranking of the LC 50 values was in the order of ZnO < CuO < Co 3 O 4 < TiO 2 under dark condition and ZnO < CuO < TiO 2 < Co 3 O 4 under light condition.ZnO MNPs were the most toxic among the tested nanoparticles.Our results indicate depletion of reduced glutathione level and elevation of malondialdehyde level correlated with the increase in oxidative stress.Released metal ions were found to have partial effect on the toxicity of MNPs to E.coli.In summary,the dynamic interactions of multiple mechanisms lead to the toxicity of the tested MNPs to E.coli.     

A mechanistic study of ciprofloxacin adsorption by goethite in the presence of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles

The adsorption behaviors of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, onto goethite (Gt) in the presence of silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (AgNPs and TiO₂NPs) were investigated. Results showed that CIP adsorption kinetics in Gt with or without NPs both followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The presence of AgNPs or TiO₂NPs inhibited the adsorption of CIP by Gt. The amount of inhibition of CIP sorption due to AgNPs was decreased with an increase of solution pH from 5.0 to 9.0. In contrast, in the presence of TiO₂NPs, CIP adsorption by Gt was almost unchanged at pHs of 5.0∼6.5 but was decreased with an increase of pH from 6.5 to 9.0. The mechanisms of AgNPs and TiO₂NPs in inhibiting CIP adsorption by Gt were different, which was attributed to citrate coating of AgNPs resulting in competition with CIP for adsorption sites on Gt, while TiO₂NPs could compete with Gt for CIP adsorption. Additionally, CIP was adsorbed by Gt or TiO₂NPs through a tridentate complex involving the bidentate inner-sphere coordination of the deprotonated carboxylic group and hydrogen bonding through the adjacent carbonyl group on the quinoline ring. These findings advance our understanding of the environmental behavior and fate of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in the presence of NPs.