Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Aggregation, Deposition, and Enhanced Contaminant Transport.

Plastic litter is widely acknowledged as a global environmental threat, and poor management and disposal lead to increasing levels in the environment. Of recent concern is the degradation of plastics from macro- to micro- and even to nanosized particles smaller than 100 nm in size. At the nanoscale, plastics are difficult to detect and can be transported in air, soil, and water compartments.

Chlorpyrifos degradation via photoreactive TiO nanoparticles: Assessing the impact of a multi-component degradation scenario.

High concentrations of pesticides enter surface waters following agricultural application, raising environmental and human health concerns. The use of photoreactive nanoparticles has shown promise for contaminant degradation and surface water remediation. However, it remains uncertain how the complexity of natural waters will impact the photodegradation process.

Influence of Aqueous Inorganic Anions on the Reactivity of Nanoparticles in TiO Photocatalysis.

The influence of inorganic anions on the photoreactivity and aggregation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NPs) was assessed by dosing carbonate, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate as potassium salts at multiple concentrations. NP stability was monitored in terms of aggregate morphology and electrophoretic mobility (EPM). Aggregate size and fractal dimension were measured over time by laser diffraction, and the isoelectric point (IEP) as a function of anion and concentration was obtained by measuring EPM versus pH.

Experimental measurement and modelling of reactive species generation in TiO nanoparticle photocatalysis.

The generation of reactive species in titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticle photocatalysis was assessed in a laboratory scale setup, in which P25 Aeroxide TiO suspensions were photoactivated by means of UV-A radiation. Photogenerated holes and hydroxyl radicals were monitored over time by observing their selective reaction with probe compounds, iodide and terephthalic acid, respectively. TiO aggregate size and structure were characterized over the reaction time.

Bacteriophage inactivation by UV-A illuminated fullerenes: role of nanoparticle-virus association and biological targets.

Inactivation rates of the MS2 bacteriophage and (1)O(2) generation rates by four different photosensitized aqueous fullerene suspensions were in the same order: aqu-nC(60) < C(60)(OH)(6) ≈ C(60)(OH)(24) < C(60)(NH(2))(6). Alterations to capsid protein secondary structures and protein oxidation were inferred by detecting changes in infrared vibrational frequencies and carbonyl groups respectively. MS2 inactivation appears to be the result of loss of capsid structural integrity (localized deformation) and the reduced ability to eject genomic RNA into its bacterial host.

Impact of aggregate size and structure on the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles.

Aggregation of photocatalytic semiconductors was determined to reduce the generation of free hydroxyl radicals in aqueous suspensions in a fashion dependent on aggregate size and structure. Static light scattering measurements were used to follow temporal changes in the fractal dimension of aggregating TiO(2) and ZnO nanoparticles. At length scales comparable to nanoparticle size, the structure of aggregated TiO(2) nanoparticles was independent of particle stability and the associated aggregation rate, consistent with the fused nature of TiO(2) primary particles in the initial suspension.

Heterogeneities in fullerene nanoparticle aggregates affecting reactivity, bioactivity, and transport.

Properties of nanomaterial suspensions are typically summarized by average values for the purposes of characterizing these materials and interpreting experimental results. We show in this work that the heterogeneity in aqueous suspensions of fullerene C(60) aggregates (nC(60)) must be taken into account for the purposes of predicting nanomaterial transport, exposure, and biological activity. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), microbial inactivation, and the mobility of the aggregates of the nC(60) in a silicate porous medium all increased as suspensions were fractionated to enrich with smaller aggregates by progressive membrane filtration.