Influence of extracellular polymeric substances on the aggregation kinetics of TiO2 nanoparticles

Behavior and Potential Impacts of Metal-Based Engineered Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environments

The specific properties of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) have not only led to rapidly increasing applications in various industrial and commercial products, but also caused environmental concerns due to the inevitable release of NPs and their unpredictable biological/ecological impacts. This review discusses the environmental behavior of metal-based NPs with an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms and kinetics. The focus is on knowledge gaps in the interaction of NPs with aquatic organisms, which can influence the fate, transport and toxicity of NPs in the aquatic environment. Aggregation transforms NPs into micrometer-sized clusters in the aqueous environment, whereas dissolution also alters the size distribution and surface reactivity of metal-based NPs. A unique toxicity mechanism of metal-based NPs is related to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent ROS-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, aggregation, dissolution and ROS generation could influence each other and also be influenced by many factors, including the sizes, shapes and surface charge of NPs, as well as the pH, ionic strength, natural organic matter and experimental conditions. Bioaccumulation of NPs in single organism species, such as aquatic plants, zooplankton, fish and benthos, is summarized and compared. Moreover, the trophic transfer and/or biomagnification of metal-based NPs in an aquatic ecosystem are discussed. In addition, genetic effects could result from direct or indirect interactions between DNA and NPs. Finally, several challenges facing us are put forward in the review.

Aggregation kinetics of inorganic colloids in eutrophic shallow lakes: Influence of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances and electrolyte cations

The stability/aggregation propensity of inorganic colloids in eutrophic shallow lakes is of great essence in governing the water transparency and contaminant behavior. In this study, time-resolved dynamic light scattering was employed to investigate the aggregation kinetics of Al₂O₃ inorganic colloids over a wide range of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) concentrations in the absence and presence of electrolyte cations. The results showed that EPS adsorption alone greatly decreased the hydrodynamic diameters of colloidal particles, whose stability behavior followed closely the predictions of the classical DLVO theory. Electrolyte cations, however, can induce the aggregation of colloidal particles, and divalent Ca²⁺ were found to be more efficient in destabilizing the colloids than monovalent Na⁺, as indicated by the considerably lower critical coagulation concentrations (2.5 mM for Ca²⁺ vs. 170 mM for Na⁺). Further addition of Ca²⁺, i.e., >2.5 mM, caused an extremely high aggregation degree and rate. High resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that this enhanced aggregation should be attributed to the gel-like bridging between colloidal particles, which were verified to be the amorphous EPS-Ca²⁺ complexes. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with elemental mapping provided additional evidence that the bridging interaction of EPS with Ca²⁺ was the predominant mechanism for the aggregation enhancement.