scholarly journals Finding Nano: Challenges Involved in Monitoring the Presence and Fate of Engineered Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environments

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Simone Heilgeist ◽  
Ryo Sekine ◽  
Oz Sahin ◽  
Rodney A. Stewart

In recent years, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has increasingly been used as an inorganic ultraviolet (UV) filter for sun protection. However, nano-TiO2 may also pose risks to the health of humans and the environment. Thus, to adequately assess its potential adverse effects, a comprehensive understanding of the behaviour and fate of TiO2 in different environments is crucial. Advances in analytical and modelling methods continue to improve researchers’ ability to quantify and determine the state of nano-TiO2 in various environments. However, due to the complexity of environmental and nanoparticle factors and their interplay, this remains a challenging and poorly resolved feat. This paper aims to provide a focused summary of key particle and environmental characteristics that influence the behaviour and fate of sunscreen-derived TiO2 in swimming pool water and natural aquatic environments and to review the current state-of-the-art of single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) approaches to detect and characterise TiO2 nanoparticles in aqueous media. Furthermore, it critically analyses the capability of existing fate and transport models to predict environmental TiO2 levels. Four particle and environmental key factors that govern the fate and behaviour of TiO2 in aqueous environments are identified. A comparison of SP-ICP-MS studies reveals that it remains challenging to detect and characterise engineered TiO2 nanoparticles in various matrices and highlights the need for the development of new SP-ICP-MS pre-treatment and analysis approaches. This review shows that modelling studies are an essential addition to experimental studies, but they still lack in spatial and temporal resolution and mostly exclude surface transformation processes. Finally, this study identifies the use of Bayesian Network-based models as an underexplored but promising modelling tool to overcome data uncertainties and incorporates interconnected variables.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 516-528
Author(s):  
Deogratius T. Maiga ◽  
Bhekie B. Mamba ◽  
Titus A. M. Msagati

Abstract This paper reports the results of a study on the analysis and characterization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) in samples that were collected from selected freshwater dams in South Africa. The study employed a combination of complementary techniques to ascertain the analytical procedures and the occurrence of TiO2 NPs in water. Characterization, identification and quantification of TiO2 NPs in surface water samples from five sampled dams was performed using several techniques including scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (FEEM) and single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (SP-ICP-MS). The SP-ICP-MS technique was able to simultaneously determine the size and concentration of both the dissolved and particulate titanium (Ti) in water samples. The Ti-containing NPs were found at concentrations ranging from 8.3 × 104 parts/mL to 1.4 × 105 parts/mL in the presence of 14.9 μg/L to 243 μg/L dissolved Ti. The TiO2 nanoparticles were mostly composed of small agglomerates ranging from 102.9 nm to 158.9 nm in size.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 3626-3635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Dutschke ◽  
Johanna Irrgeher ◽  
Daniel Pröfrock

A novel, optimized and validated extraction method for engineered TiO2 nano-particles from environmental samples prior to SdFFF-MALS-ICP-MS/MS analysis is presented.


Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Roger Pamphlett ◽  
Philip A. Doble ◽  
David P. Bishop

The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so we studied the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human kidney. Paraffin sections of kidneys were available from 129 people ranging in age from 1 to 104 years who had forensic/coronial autopsies. One individual had injected himself with metallic mercury, the other 128 were from varied clinicopathological backgrounds without known exposure to mercury. Sections were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used on six samples to confirm the presence of autometallography-detected mercury and to look for other toxic metals. In the 128 people without known mercury exposure, mercury was found in: (1) proximal tubules of the cortex and Henle thin loops of the medulla, in 25% of kidneys (and also in the man who injected himself with mercury), (2) proximal tubules only in 16% of kidneys, and (3) Henle thin loops only in 23% of kidneys. The age-related proportion of people who had any mercury in their kidney was 0% at 1–20 years, 66% at 21–40 years, 77% at 41–60 years, 84% at 61–80 years, and 64% at 81–104 years. LA-ICP-MS confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography and showed cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and silver in some kidneys. In conclusion, mercury is found commonly in the adult human kidney, where it appears to accumulate in proximal tubules and Henle thin loops until an advanced age. Dysfunctions of both these cortical and medullary regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, so these findings suggest that further studies of the effects of mercury on blood pressure are warranted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Thuy-Chinh Nguyen ◽  
Tien-Dung Nguyen ◽  
Duc-Toan Vu ◽  
Duc-Phuong Dinh ◽  
Anh-Hiep Nguyen ◽  
...  

This paper presents some characteristics, properties, and morphology of TiO2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) modified with various contents of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) coupling agent. The treatment process was carried out in ethanol solvent at 50oC using ammonia as a catalyst for hydrolysis reaction of silane to silanol. Infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction methods were used for determination of the characteristics, properties of nano-TiO2 before and after treatment. In addition, the contact angle and grafting efficiency of TMSPM on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was also evaluated. The obtained results confirmed that TMSPM was grafted to the TiO2 nanoparticles, the agglomeration of nano-TiO2 was decreased, and surface of TiO2 nanoparticles became hydrophobic after modification by TMSPM.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1191-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinqing Zhang ◽  
Liwen Qiang ◽  
Yuting Yuan ◽  
Wei Wu ◽  
Binbin Sun ◽  
...  

Under sunlight irradiation, titanium dioxide nanoparticles could promote the oxidative dissolution of silver nanoparticles in aquatic environments.


2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Qi ◽  
Y. Y. Ye ◽  
J. J. Wu ◽  
H. T. Wang ◽  
F. T. Li

The increasing applications of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles raise concerns about their potential environmental impacts. To investigate the fate and transport of TiO2 nanoparticles in aqueous suspension, ultrasonication is widely used for the dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles in laboratory-scale studies. There is a pressing need for detailed information on the dispersion and stability of TiO2 nanoparticles. This study investigated the change of size, zeta potential, and pH of TiO2 nanoparticles aqueous suspension under different conditions of ultrasonication and concentrations. It was found that the hydrodynamic diameter of TiO2 nanoparticles decreased with increasing suspension concentration and remained stable for more than 1 hour after sonication, which is enough for experimental research. The pH decreased with increasing nanoparticles concentration. Ultrasonication remarkably improved zeta potential to be above 15 mV for all the samples. Therefore, 20 minutes of ultrasonication (180 W) is sufficient for the dispersion of this rutile TiO2 nanoparticles suspension, which can remain stable for more than 1 hour. However, the optimum sonication time for TiO2 nanoparticles dispersion is influenced by many factors, such as TiO2 nanoparticles concentration, solution chemistry, and sonicator parameters.


Author(s):  
Daniel Ziental ◽  
Beata Czarczynska-Goslinska ◽  
Dariusz T. Mlynarczyk ◽  
Arleta Glowacka-Sobotta ◽  
Beata Stanisz ◽  
...  

Metallic nanoparticles (NPs), among polymeric NPs, liposomes, micelles, quantum dots, dendrimers, or fullerenes, are becoming more and more important due to their potential use in the novel medical therapies. Titanium dioxide (titanium(IV) oxide, titania, TiO2) is an inorganic compound that owes its recent rise in scientific interest to photoactivity. After the illumination in aqueous media with UV light, TiO2 produces an array of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The capability to produce ROS and thus induce cell death has found application in the photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of a wide range of maladies, from psoriasis to cancer. Titanium dioxide NPs were studied as photosensitizing agents in the treatment of malignant tumors as well as in photodynamic inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Both TiO2 NPs themselves, as well as their composites with other molecules, can be successfully used as photosensitizers in PDT. Moreover, various organic compounds can be grafted on TiO2 NPs, leading to hybrid materials. These nanostructures can reveal increased light absorption allowing their further use in targeted therapy in medicine. In order to improve efficient anticancer therapy, many approaches utilizing titanium dioxide were tested. The most significant studies are discussed in this review.


2022 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-414
Author(s):  
N. Usha Rani ◽  
P. Pavani ◽  
P.T.S.R.K. Prasad Rao

Titanium nanoparticles are toxic to bacteria and have a widespread applications in different fields of research. Hence the present study aimed to synthesize the titanium dioxide nanoparticles by adopting green synthesis methodology using Kigelia africana leave extract as a biological reducing agent. The UV absorption spectra show characteristic absorption maxima corresponding to TiO2 nanoparticles at a wavelength of 512 nm confirms the formation of nanosized tin particles. The FT-IR spectrum of TiO2 nanoparticles show absorption bands at 3609 cm-1 and 3227 cm-1 corresponding to O-H stretching in alcoholic and carboxylic compounds, respectively. Absorption peaks at 1607, 2834, 1654 and 1324 cm-1 correspond to aromatic C=C vibrations, C-H stretching in aldehydes, C-H bending vibrations and aromatic C-N stretching vibrations, respectively. This confirms the involvement of bioactive compounds from the plant extract. The SEM and EDX studies confirmed that the nanoparticles are spherical to oval shape with an average particle size of 46 nm. The metal content in the nanoparticles was found to be 58.71%. The synthesized nanoparticles have potential growth inhibition activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli). The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the nanoparticles synthesized was compared with that of aqueous leaf extract and standard ascorbic acid and proved that the nanoparticles have enhanced activity than aqueous leaf extract. The IC50 of the leaf extract, nanoparticles and the standard was found to be 31.55, 75.82 and 84.95 μg/mL, respectively. Kigelia africana leaf is shown in this work to be a valuable bioagent in the biosynthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles with increased biological activity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
S. Rajeshkumar ◽  
J. Santhoshkumar ◽  
Leta Tesfaye Jule ◽  
Krishnaraj Ramaswamy

Phytosynthesis particles are the efficient activity of biomedical and environmental. In this present study, the green synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles using the king of bitter herbal plant Andrographis paniculata was synthesized and characterized using XRD, SEM, HRTEM, AFM, and antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. The size of the particles HRTEM shows 50 nm, and SEM shows the spherical shape, which reveals the synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles. XRD spectrum shows crystallinity of nanoparticles, and an average size is calculated about 22.97 nm. The phytosynthesis TiO2 shows the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Similarly, toxicity studies have demonstrated the hatching and viability LD 50 value of TiO2 250 μg/L. The current study’s findings suggested that phytosynthesis TiO2 using extract of Andrographis paniculata exposure to potential hazard factors to biomedical and environmental uses.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Nechifor ◽  
Eugenia Eftimie Totu ◽  
Aurelia Cristina Nechifor ◽  
Ibrahim Isildak ◽  
Ovidiu Oprea ◽  
...  

The polymer-inorganic nanoparticles composite membranes are the latest solutions for multiple physicochemical resistance and selectivity requirements of membrane processes. This paper presents the production of polysulfone-silica microfiber grafted with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (PSf-SiO2-TiO2) composite membranes. Silica microfiber of length 150–200 μm and diameter 12–15 μm were grafted with titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which aggregated as microspheres of 1–3 μm, applying the sol-gel method. The SiO2 microfibers grafted with nano-TiO2 were used to prepare 12% polysulfone-based nanocomposite membranes in N-methyl pyrrolidone through the inversion phase method by evaporation. The obtained nanocomposite membranes, PSf-SiO2-TiO2, have flux characteristics, retention, mechanical characteristics, and chemical oxidation resistance superior to both the polysulfone integral polymer membranes and the PSf-SiO2 composite membranes. The antimicrobial tests highlighted the inhibitory effect of the PSf-SiO2-TiO2 composite membranes on five Gram (-) microorganisms and did not allow the proliferation of Candida albicans strain, proving that they are suitable for usage in the oral environment. The designed membrane met the required characteristics for application as a functional barrier in guided bone regeneration.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document