The influence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioavailability and toxicity to soil microbial communities in alfalfa rhizosphere.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may affect bioavailability and toxicity of organic contaminants due to their adsorption properties. Recent studies have observed the influence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other organic contaminants. Greenhouse studies (49 d) were conducted with alfalfa plants in two different soil types.

An evaluation of the impact of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on soil microbial community structure and functioning.

This study evaluated the impacts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on microbial community composition and functioning in a sandy loam soil over 90 d. We used test concentrations in the range of lower MWNT concentrations (10mg/kg) to extremely high MWNT concentrations (10,000 mg/kg) as a worst case scenario. We observed no effects of MWNTs on soil respiration, enzymatic activities, and microbial community composition at 10, 100 and 1,000 mg/kg.

Mobility of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil in the presence of carbon nanotubes.

Being a potential risk to the environment, a fate study of carbon nanotube (CNT) in the environment is urgently needed. A study of CNT impacts on the bioavailability of other conventional contaminants in a terrestrial system is particularly rare. This study explored PAH leaching behaviors in the presence of CNTs with column leaching tests.

Comparative studies of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and octadecyl (C18) as sorbents in passive sampling devices for biomimetic uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soils.

To avoid overestimating the risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), research is needed to evaluate the bioavailable portion of PAHs in the environment. However, limited PSDs were developed for a terrestrial soil system. In this study, two sorbents, octadecyl (C18) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), were individually evaluated as sorbents in passive sampling devices (PSDs) as biomimetic samplers to assess the uptake of PAHs from soil.