Distribution and bioavailability of ceria nanoparticles in an aquatic ecosystem model

Along with the increasing utilization of engineered nanoparticles, there is a growing concern for the potential environmental and health effects of exposure to these newly designed materials. Understanding the behavior of nanoparticles in the environment is a basic need. The present study aims to investigate the distribution and fate of ceria nanoparticles in an aquatic system model which consists of sediments, water, hornworts, fish and snails, using a radiotracer technique. Concentrations of ceria in the samples at regular time intervals were measured. Ceria nanoparticles were readily removed from the water column and partitioned between different organisms. Both snail and fish have fast absorption and clearance abilities. Hornwort has the highest bioaccumulation factors. At the end of the experiment, sediments accumulated most of the nanoparticles with a recovery of 75.7 ± 27.3% of total ceria nanoparticles, suggesting that sediments are major sinks of ceria nanoparticles.     

Ionic dye adsorption by zinc oxide nanoparticles

The adsorption behaviour of Basic Red 12, Acid Orange 7 and Acid Blue 1 on zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNP) has been investigated to understand the physicochemical process involved and to explore the possible use of nanoparticles in the treatment and management of textile waste matter. The dye removal capacity of ZNP towards Basic Red 12, Acid Orange 7 and Acid Blue 1 was found to be 15.64, 6.78 and 6.38 mg g^?1, respectively. The adsorption process was pH dependent and optimum pH values of 9.0, 2.0 and 4.0 were obtained for Basic Red 12, Acid Orange 7 and Acid Blue 1, respectively. Equilibrium was established after 1.0 h for all dyes. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models were applied to the system. The adsorbent ZNP was characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques. SEM analysis revealed the noticeable nanoporous morphology of the material. The results of FTIR spectroscopy showed that the process is driven by an electrostatic complexation mechanism. XRD studies revealed the nanocrystalline structure of ZNP. BET surface area measurement suggested a high pore volume and large surface area for the adsorbent. The kinetic measurements suggested pseudo-second-order kinetic processes with high regression coefficients and smaller standard error of estimate values and lower residual sum of squares. The thermodynamic measurements suggested that all processes were exothermic and accompanied by negative values for Δ G⁰, Δ S⁰ and Δ H⁰.     

Impact of nano-CuO stress on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings

Indiscriminate release of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) into the environment due to anthropogenic activities has become a serious threat to the ecological system including plants. The present study assesses the toxicity of nano-CuO on rice (Oryza sativa cv. Swarna) seedlings. Three different levels of stress (0.5 mM, 1.0 mM and 1.5 mM suspensions of copper II oxide, <50 nm particle size) were imposed and seedling growth performance was studied along control at 7 and 14 d of experiment. Modulation of ascorbate–glutathione cycle, membrane damage, in vivo ROS detection, foliar H₂O₂ and proline accumulation under nano-CuO stress were investigated in detail to get an overview of nano-stress response of rice. Seed germination percentage was significantly reduced under stress. Higher uptake of Evans blue by nano-CuO stressed roots over control indicates loss of root cells viability. Presence of dark blue and deep brown spots on leaves evident after histochemical staining with NBT and DAB respectively indicate severe oxidative burst under nano-copper stress. APX activity was found to be significantly increased in 1.0 and 1.5 mM CuO treatments. Nevertheless, elevated APX activity might be insufficient to scavenge all H₂O₂ produced in excess under nano-CuO stress. That may be the reason why stressed leaves accumulated significantly higher H₂O₂ instead of having enhanced APX activity. In addition, increased GR activity coupled with isolated increase in GSH/GSSG ratio does not seem to prevent cells from oxidative damages, as evident from higher MDA level in leaves of nano-CuO stressed seedlings over control. Enhanced proline accumulation also does not give much protection against nano-CuO stress. Decline in carotenoids level might be another determining factor of meager performance of rice seedlings in combating nano-CuO stress induced oxidative damages.     

重金属抗性菌Bacillus cereus HQ-1对银离子的生物吸附-微沉淀成晶作用

发现1株对银离子有强吸附能力的蜡状芽孢杆菌HQ-1,研究了其对银离子的吸附特性及吸附机理.结果表明,菌体对银的吸附量可达91.75 mg/g,吸附过程符合Pseudo-second Order吸附动力学模型,相关系数高达0.999 9;吸附热力学很好地符合Freundlich吸附等温模型,相关系数为0.99;考察菌体浓度和温度对吸附的影响发现,菌体浓度增加有利于对银离子的吸附,温度对吸附影响较小;FTIR、SEM及EDAX实验结果表明吸附存在2种吸附机理,一为菌体表面一些含氮氧的基团对Ag⁺的络合作用,二为菌体分泌的胞外多糖等物质对Ag⁺的微沉淀成晶作用.     

Antimicrobial activity of thin metallic silver flakes, waste products of a manufacturing process

The aim of the research was to develop new products and processes from a manufacturing waste from an Italian metallurgic company. The company produced thin silver metallic films and the production scraps were silver flakes. The possibility to use the silver flakes in water disinfection processes was studied. The antimicrobial activity of the flakes was investigated in batch using Escherichia coli as Gram-negative microorganism model. The flakes did not show any antimicrobial activity, so they were activated with two different processes: thermal activation in reducing atmosphere and chemical activation, obtaining, respectively, reduced flakes (RF) and chemical flakes (CF). The flakes, activated with either treatment, showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli. The kill rate was dependent on the type of activated flakes. The chemical flakes were more efficient than reduced flakes. The kill rate determined for 1 g of CF, 1.0 ± 0.2 min⁻¹, was greater than the kill rate determined for 1 g of RF, 0.069 ± 0.004 min⁻¹. This was confirmed also by the minimum inhibitory concentration values. It was demonstrated that the antimicrobial capability was dependent on flakes amount and on the type of aqueous medium. Furthermore, the flakes maintained their properties also when used a second time. Finally, the antimicrobial activities of flakes were tested in an effluent of a wastewater treatment plant where a variety of heterotrophic bacteria were present.     

Silver impregnated carbon for adsorption and desorption of elemental mercury vapors

The Hg0 vapor adsorption experimental results on a novel sorbent obtained by impregnating a commercially available activated carbon (Darco G60 from BDH) with silver nitrate were reported. The study was performed by using a fundamental approach, in an apparatus at laboratory scale in which a synthetic flue gas, formed by Hg0 vapors in a nitrogen gas stream, at a given temperature and mercury concentration, was flowed through a fixed bed of adsorbent material. Breakthrough curves and adsorption isotherms were obtained for bed temperatures of 90, 120 and 150°C and for Hg0 concentrations in the gas varying in the range of 0.8–5.0 mg/m3. The experimental gas-solid equilibrium data were used to evaluate the Langmuir parameters and the heat of adsorption. The experimental results showed that silver impregnated carbon was very effective to capture elemental mercury and the amount of mercury adsorbed by the carbon decreased as the bed temperature increased. In addition, to evaluate the possibility of adsorbent recovery, desorption was also studied. Desorption runs showed that both the adsorbing material and the mercury could be easily recovered, since at the end of desorption the residue on solid was almost negligible. The material balance on mercury and the constitutive equations of the adsorption phenomenon were integrated, leading to the evaluation of only one kinetic parameter which fits well both the experimentally determined breakthrough and desorption curves.     

Resistance and biosorption mechanism of silver ions by Bacillus cereus biomass

Biosorption of silver ions onto Bacillus cereus biomass was investigated. Overall kinetic experiments were performed for the determination of the necessary contact time for the attainment of equilibrium. It was found that the overall biosorption process was best described by pseudo second-order kinetic model. The crystals detected by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggested the precipitation was a possible mechanism of biosorption. The molecular genetics of silver resistance of B. cereus biomass was also detected and illustrated by a whole cell sensor tool.     

两种粒径氧化镍纳米颗粒对小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)的生物毒性

采用藻类生物毒性测试方法(OECD201)研究了两种粒径氧化镍(NiO)纳米颗粒对小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)的生物毒性.发现纳米颗粒的毒性与其尺度有关,7 nm NiO的毒性大于20 nm NiO,二者72 h EC50分别为18.01和74.64mgNiO/L.利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察了对...     

SiO2纳米颗粒对小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)生长活性的影响

从Si02纳米颗粒对小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)生长活性的影响来探讨纳米材料的生物安全性问题.结果表明Si02纳米颗粒降低了小球藻的生物量和蛋白含量,并可以附着在细胞表面和进入细胞内部,造成了细胞的形变和结构损伤,从而抑制了小球藻的正常生长活性.Si02纳米颗粒对小球藻具有一定的毒性效应.     

安徽黟县西坑银多金属矿成矿地质条件研究

本文介绍了安徽黟县西坑银多金属矿床的构造地质、地层与蚀变、岩浆作用、银矿体与矿石及同位素等特征,探讨了矿床形成的地质条件。