Effect of cerium dioxide, titanium dioxide, silver, and gold nanoparticles on the activity of microbial communities intended in wastewater treatment

► Toxicity of TiO 2, CeO 2, Ag and Au nanoparticles (NP) has been studied. ► NP were synthesized in the lab and stabilized to prevent agglomeration. ► Toxicity was studied in all the communities used for the wastewater treatment. ► Heterotrophic, nitrifying and anaerobic organisms were studied for n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of hazardous materials 2012-01, Vol.199 (15), p.64-72
Main Authors: García, Ana, Delgado, Lucía, Torà, Josep A., Casals, Eudald, González, Edgar, Puntes, Víctor, Font, Xavier, Carrera, Julián, Sánchez, Antoni
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ammonia
Ammonia oxidizing bacteria
Anaerobic biomass
Anaerobiosis
Bacteria
Bacteria - drug effects
biogas
Biomass
cerium
Cerium - pharmacology
Communities
gold
Gold - chemistry
Gold - pharmacology
heterotrophs
Inhibition
Inorganic nanoparticles
Metal Nanoparticles
microbial activity
microbial communities
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Microorganisms
nanogold
Nanoparticles
nanosilver
Ordinary heterotrophic organisms
Respirometry
Silver
Silver - chemistry
Silver - pharmacology
Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
Titanium - pharmacology
Titanium dioxide
wastewater
wastewater treatment
Water Microbiology
X-Ray Diffraction
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Summary:► Toxicity of TiO 2, CeO 2, Ag and Au nanoparticles (NP) has been studied. ► NP were synthesized in the lab and stabilized to prevent agglomeration. ► Toxicity was studied in all the communities used for the wastewater treatment. ► Heterotrophic, nitrifying and anaerobic organisms were studied for nanotoxicology. ► Au and TiO 2 NP were not toxic, but Ag and CeO 2 NP were inhibitory. Growth in production and use of nanoparticles (NPs) will result increased concentrations of these in industrial and urban wastewaters and, consequently, in wastewater-treatment facilities. The effect of this increase on the performance of the wastewater-treatment process has not been studied systematically and including all the microbial communities involved in wastewater treatment. The present work investigates, by using respiration tests and biogas-production analysis, the inhibitory effect of four different commonly used metal oxide (CeO 2 and TiO 2) and zero-valent metal (Ag and Au) nanoparticles on the activity of the most important microbial communities present in a modern wastewater-treatment plant. Specifically, the actions of ordinary heterotrophic organisms, ammonia oxidizing bacteria, and thermophilic and mesophilic anaerobic bacteria were tested in the presence and absence of the nanoparticles. In general, CeO 2 nanoparticles caused the greatest inhibition in biogas production (nearly 100%) and a strong inhibitory action of other biomasses; Ag nanoparticles caused an intermediate inhibition in biogas production (within 33–50%) and a slight inhibition in the action of other biomasses, and Au and TiO 2 nanoparticles caused only slight or no inhibition for all tested biomasses.
ISSN:0304-3894
1873-3336
DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.10.057