Ecotoxicity Evaluation and Suggestion of Remediation Method of ZnO Nanoparticles in Aqueous Phase

Authors: Hyunsang Kim, Younghun Kim, Younghee Kim, Sangku Lee

Abstract:

We investigated ecotoxicity and performed experiment for removing ZnO nanoparticles in water. Short term exposure of hatching test using fertilized eggs (O. latipes) showed deformity in 5ppm of ZnO nanoparticles solution. And in 10ppm ZnO nanoparticles solution delayed hatching was observed. Hereine, chemical precipitation method was suggested for removing ZnO nanoparticles in water. The precipitated ZnO nanoparticles showed the form of ZnS after addition of Na2S, and the form of Zn3(PO4)2 for Na2HPO4. The removal efficiency of ZnO nanoparticles in water was closed to 100% for two cases. In ecotoxicity evaluation of as-precipitated ZnS and Zn3(PO4)2, they did not cause any acute toxicity for D. magna. It is noted that this precipitation treatment of ZnO is effective to reduce the potential cytotoxicity.

Keywords: ZnO nanoparticles, ZnS, Zn3(PO4)2, ecotoxicity evaluation, chemical precipitation.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1109157

References:

[1] Woodrow Wilson Center PEN CPI (September, 2011)
[2] Mei Li, Lizhong Zhu and Daohui Lin, “Toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles to E. coli: mechanism and the influence of medium components”, Environ. Sic. Technol., 45(5), 1977-1983, 2011.
[3] Rui Ma, Clement Levard, Jonathan D. Judy, Jason M. Unrine, Mark Durenkamp, Ben Martin, Bruce Jefferson and Goregory V. Lowry, “Fate of zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles in a pilot wastewater treatment plant and in processed biosolids:, Environ. Sci. Technol., 48(2), 104-112, 2014.
[4] Rui Ma, Clement Levard, F. Marc Michel, Gordon E. Brown, Jr., and Gregory V. Lowry, “Sulfidation Mechanism for Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and the Effect of Sulfidation on Their Solubility”, Environ. Sci. Tech., 47(6), 2527~2534, 2013.
[5] L. Robertson, M. Gaudon, S. Pechev and A. Demourgues, “Structural transformation and thermochromic behavior of Co2+-doped Zn3(PO4)2·4H2O hopeites”, J. Mater. Chem., 22, 3585-3590, 2012.