Aggregation and dissolution of silver nanoparticles in a laboratory-based freshwater microcosm under simulated environmental conditions

Silver nanoparticles (NP) are used in several applications, including their use as antimicrobial agents in textiles, personal care, and other domestic products. As such, there is a high potential for the release of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in the aquatic environment. In aquatic ecosystems, nanomaterials are affected by abiotic factors, such as temperature, that alter their chemistry and influence their fate in the environment. Preliminary studies indicate that NP tend to form aggregates which are potentially more recalcitrant than unaggregated NP. These and other fate processes are largely dependent on both the characteristics of the NP and that of the environment. In this study, lab experiments were conducted to investigate the physicochemical properties and temperature solubility of AgNP (<100 nm) that may potentially influence the fate and behavior of AgNP in the aqueous environment. Results indicated that, under these tested conditions, AgNP may be transformed in size and thereby affect fate, bioavailability, and toxicity. In this study, a novel method was used to determine whether AgNP would form agglomerates, or behave as isolated particles, or dissolve when in aqueous media and under different environmental conditions. The new aspects evaluated in this study demonstrated that AgNP are transformed in both size and state under variable environmental conditions.     

Applications of hollow nanomaterials in environmental remediation and monitoring: A review

Hollow nanomaterials have attracted significant attention because of their high chemical and thermal stability, high specific surface area, high porosity, low density, and good biocompatibility. These state-of-the-art nanomaterials have been shown to efficiently adsorb heavy metals, and volatile hazardous substances, photodegrade persistent organic pollutants, and other compounds, and inactivate bacteria. Such properties have enabled the use of these materials for environmental remediation, such as in water/wastewater treatment, soil remediation, air purification, and substance monitoring, etc. Hollow nanomaterials showed higher photocatalytic activity than those without hollow structure owing to their high active surface area, reduced diffusion resistance, and improved accessibility. And, the Doping method could improve the photocatalytic performance of hollow nanomaterials further under visible light. Moreover, the synthetic mechanisms and methods of these materials are important because their size and morphology help to determine their precise properties. This article reviews the environmental applications and potential risks of these materials, in addition to their syntheses. Finally, an outlook into the development of these materials is provided.     

人工纳米材料对贝类生态毒理效应的研究进展

纳米技术已成为21世纪发展最迅猛的技术领域之一。纳米材料因其具备新异的物理、化学特性而广泛应用于各种领域,包括农业,电子工业,生物医学,制造业,医药品和化妆品等,因此纳米颗粒不可避免会释放到水环境中。贝类由于其具有分布广,处于食物链中的关键位置,滤食食性,对重金属及污染物有较强的生物累积能力,且很多贝类具有养殖和商业价值,因而纳米颗粒对贝类的生态毒性效应备受关注。本文通过对已有相关研究成果进行归纳分析,重点阐述了3方面的内容:1)人工纳米材料在水环境中的行为;2)贝类作为水生污染监测指示生物的重要意义;3)人工纳米材料对贝类的毒性效应,主要包括贝类对纳米颗粒摄取、积累和转移,并从组织细胞水平,分子和基因水平,胚胎发育和个体生长水平等阐述了纳米材料对贝类的毒性效应。     

作业场所中纳米材料潜在职业危害危险度评价

通过比较纳米材料与常规材料风险评价方法的差异,在综合国内外研究的基础上,分析了作业场所纳米材料潜在健康危害及其影响因素,从危害发生的可能性与严重度两方面进行评价,建立危险度模糊综合评价模型,确定危险度评价等级。运用模糊综合评价方法对纳米材料潜在健康风险进行综合评估,根据评价结果采取控制措施,避免和减少作业场所纳米材料可能对健康带来的风险。     

二氧化铈纳米催化剂的制备及臭氧化应用

分别以Ce(NO3)3.6H2O和(NH4)2Ce(NO3)6作为铈源,通过简便的化学沉淀法,制备了二氧化铈纳米材料,考察了铈源对所得纳米结构、表面特征的影响。并将纳米材料应用于降解废水用臭氧化催化剂。结果表明,铈源的不同,导致纳米材料的表面态不同,从而引起二者的催化性能具有显著差异。其中,以Ce(NO3)3.6H2O为铈源获得的样品显示了较好的催化活性,以臭氧化反应60 min降解苯酚为例,苯酚降解效率提高了70%,开拓了纳米氧化铈作为臭氧化催化剂的新应用,为臭氧化水处理技术提供了新的选择。     

金属和非金属纳米材料对四膜虫生物毒性研究

纳米材料是"21世纪最有前途的材料",以其优良的性能广泛应用于许多领域,随之以多种形式释放到环境中。目前,关于纳米材料的安全性还没有明确的论断。本文介绍了四膜虫在纳米材料生物效应研究中的优势,重点论述了金属纳米材料、非金属纳米材料对四膜虫的生物效应以及毒性机制的研究状况,并对今后纳米材料生物毒性效应研究提供了建设性的方法及意见。     

纳米材料对水生生物的生态毒理效应研究进展

随着纳米材料的大量生产和应用,其将不可避免地释放到水环境中．近年来,纳米材料对水生生物的生态毒理效应已经引起了科学家的广泛关注．纳米材料在水环境中的分散液／悬浮液是与环境最为相关的形态;纳米材料在水环境中的分散与团聚、生物累积直接决定了其生态毒理学效应．本文概述了纳米材料在水环境中的环境行为,归纳了纳米材料在水生生物中...     

纳米ZnO与TiO2对赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia foetida)的毒性效应

以赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia foetida)为受试生物,研究纳米TiO2与ZnO两种纳米颗粒的毒理学效应及环境释放风险.实验采用滤纸法(浓度组:0、0.15、0.75、1.5和3.0 mg·cm-2)和溶液法(浓度组:0、10、50和100 mg·L-1),染毒时间为48 h,以抗氧化系统的响应和DNA损伤作为毒理效...     

环境毒理学研究进展

综述了近年来环境毒理学的研究进展,内容包括:环境污染物对机体的影响及其环境行为、环境污染物及其转化物的毒性和评估方法、实验室模式生物、生物标志物以及环境毒理学在其他相关学科中的应用等.此外,还对环境化学品管理和安全性评价、Hormesis(兴奋效应)现象、遗传毒性致癌物的危险度评价、室内环境毒理学分析与研究等热点问题进...     

Effects of ultrasonic treatment on dithiothreitol (DTT) assay measurements for carbon materials

The dithiothreitol (DTT) assay is the most commonly used method to quantify the oxidative potential of fine particles. However, the reported DTT decay rates of carbon black (CB) materials vary greatly among different researchers. This might have resulted from either the intrinsic toxicity of CB or the unsuitability of the DTT assay protocol for CB particles. In the current study, the protocol of the DTT assay for CB materials has been carefully evaluated. It was found that the dispersion degree of CB particles in water has a great influence on the DTT decay rate of CB materials. For CB particles (special black 4A (SB4A) and Printex U) and single-walled carbon nanotube tube (SWCNT), the DTT decay rate after sonication for 10?min became 4.2, 4.6 and 1.7 times higher than that without sonication. The rate continued to grow as a function of ultrasound time up to 30?min of sonication. Although the concentration of soluble transition metals and surface oxygen-containing species such as carbonyls increased slightly with sonication, they had no significant effects on the measured DTT activity, while the increase in the dispersion degree of aggregates was found to play a vital role in the observed enhancement of the DTT decay rates for different CB materials. Based on our results, 30?min of sonication is recommended for sample dispersion when measuring the DTT decay rate of CB materials.