Effects of inorganic nanoparticles on viability and catabolic activities of Agrobacterium sp. PH-08 during biodegradation of dibenzofuran

Toxicity of Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron to Soil Microorganisms and Related Defense Mechanisms: A Review

Soil pollution is a global environmental problem. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) as a kind of emerging remedial material is used for contaminated soil, which can quickly and effectively degrade and remove pollutants such as organic halides, nitrates and heavy metals in soil, respectively. However, nZVI and its composites can enter the soil environment in the application process, affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil, be absorbed by microorganisms and affect the growth and metabolism of microorganisms, thus affecting the ecological environment of the entire soil. Because of the potential risks of nZVI to the environment and ecosystems, this paper summarizes the current application of nZVI in the remediation of contaminated soil environments, summarizes the various factors affecting the toxic effects of nZVI particles and comprehensively analyzes the toxic effects of nZVI on microorganisms, toxic mechanisms and cell defense behaviors to provide a theoretical reference for subsequent biosafety research on nZVI.

Remediation of Pb-diesel fuel co-contaminated soil using nano/bio process: subsequent use of nanoscale zero-valent iron and bioremediation approaches

The effectiveness of the nano/bio process was investigated as a remediation option for co-contaminated soils. Nano/bio process is a hybrid treatment method that may be defined as the use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and bioremediation approaches subsequently/concurrently. Different bioremediation approaches (bioattenuation, biostimulation, and/or bioaugmentation) were performed together with nZVI application to remediate Pb- and diesel fuel-spiked soils. Nutrient (N and P) and activated sludge amendment were made to realize biostimulation and bioaugmentation, respectively. The nZVI application decreased the total percentage of the most mobile and bioavailable soil Pb fractions (exchangeable and carbonate-bound) from 68.3 to 31.7%. The biodegradation levels of nZVI-applied co-contaminated soils were significantly higher than the soils without nZVI indicating the positive effect of the reduced mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity of Pb content. The use of nano/biostimulation or nano/bioaugmentation treatments resulted in higher than 60% total n-alkane degradation, whereas 89.5% degradation was obtained by using nano/biostimulation + bioaugmentation. Hydrocarbon-degrader strains belonging to phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, or Firmicutes were identified from samples subjected to nano/bio process and the strains from biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatments were different. These results indicate that the stress on the microbial population caused by the co-contamination might be subsided and the biodegradation of alkanes might be improved by using the nano/bio process.

In situ nanoremediation of soils and groundwaters from the nanoparticle's standpoint: A review

Anthropogenic pollution coming from industrial processes, agricultural practices and consumer products, results in the release of toxic substances into rural and urban environments. Once released, these chemicals migrate through the atmosphere and water, and find their way into matrices such as sediments and groundwaters, thus making large areas potentially uninhabitable. Common pollutants, including heavy metal(loid)s, radionuclides, aliphatic hydrocarbons and halogenated organics, are known to adversely affect physiological systems in animal species. Pollution can be cleaned up using techniques such as coagulation, reverse osmosis, oxidation and biological methods, among others. The use of nanoparticles (NPs) extends the range of available technologies and offers particular benefits, not only by degrading, transforming and immobilizing contaminants, but also by reaching inaccessible areas and promoting biotic degradation. The development of NPs is understandably heralded as an environmentally beneficial technology; however, it is only now that the ecological risks associated with their use are being evaluated. This review presents recent developments in the use of engineered NPs for the in situ remediation of two paramount environmental matrices: soils and groundwaters. Emphasis will be placed on (i) the successful applications of nano-objects for environmental cleanup, (ii) the potential safety implications caused by the challenging requirements of [high reactivity toward pollutants] vs. [none reactivity toward biota], with a thorough view on their transport and evolution in the matrix, and (iii) the perspectives on scientific and regulatory challenges. To this end, the most promising nanomaterials will be considered, including nanoscale zerovalent iron, nano-oxides and carbonaceous materials. The purpose of the present review is to give an overview of the development of nanoremediators since they appeared in the 2000s, from their chemical modifications, mechanism of action and environmental behavior to an understanding of the problematics (technical limitations, economic constraints and institutional precautionary approaches) that will drive their future full-scale applications.

Metatranscriptomic Insights Into the Response of River Biofilm Communities to Ionic and Nano-Zinc Oxide Exposures

Manufactured Zn oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NP) are extensively used world-wide in personal care and industrial products and are important contaminants of aquatic environments. To understand the overall impact of ZnO-NP contamination on aquatic ecosystems, investigation of their toxicity on aquatic biofilms is of particular consequence, given biofilms are known sinks for NP contaminants. In order to assess alterations in the functional activity of river microbial biofilm communities as a result of environmentally-relevant ZnO-NP exposure, biofilms were exposed to ionic zinc salt or ZnOPs that were uncoated (hydrophilic), coated with silane (hydrophobic) or stearic acid (lipophilic), at a total concentration of 188 μg l^-1 Zn. ICP-MS analyses of biofilms indicated ZnO-NP concentrated in the biofilms, with hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and lipophilic treatments reaching 0.310, 0.250, and 0.220 μg Zn cm^-2 of biofilm, respectively, while scanning transmission X-ray microspectroscopy (STXM) analyses of biofilms confirmed that Zn was extensively- and differentially-sorbed to biofilm material. Microbial community composition, based on taxonomic affiliation of mRNA sequences and enumeration of protozoa and micrometazoa, was not affected by these treatments, and the total transcriptional response of biofilms to all experimental exposures was not indicative of a global toxic-response, as cellular processes involved in general cell maintenance and housekeeping were abundantly transcribed. Transcripts related to major biological processes, including photosynthesis, energy metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, lipid metabolism, membrane transport, antibiotic resistance and xenobiotic degradation, were differentially expressed in Zn-exposures relative to controls. Notably, transcripts involved in nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis were decreased in abundance in response to Zn-exposure, while transcripts related to lipid degradation and motility-chemotaxis were increased, suggesting a potential role of Zn in biofilm dissolution. ZnO-NP and ionic Zn exposures elicited generally overlapping transcriptional responses, however hydrophilic and hydrophobic ZnO-NPs induced a more distinct effect than that of lipophilic ZnO-NPs, which had an effect similar to that of low ionic Zn exposure. While the physical coating of ZnO-NP may not induce specific toxicity observable at a community level, alteration of ecologically important processes of photosynthesis and nitrogen cycling are an important potential consequence of exposure to ionic Zn and Zn oxides.

Treatability of hexabromocyclododecane using Pd/Fe nanoparticles in the soil-plant system: Effects of humic acids

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a persistent organic pollutant that accumulates in soil and sediments, however, it has been difficult to degrade HBCD with developed remediation technologies so far. In this study, degradation of HBCD by bimetallic iron-based nanoparticles (NPs) under both aqueous and soil conditions considering the effects of humic acids (HAs) and tobacco plant was investigated. In the aqueous solution, 99% of the total HBCD (15 mM) was transformed by Pd/nFe (1 g L-1) within 9 h of treatment and the HBCD debromination by Pd/nFe increased with the addition of HAs. In the soil system, 13%, 15%, 41% and 27% of the total HBCD were removed by treatments consisting of plant only, plant with HAs, plant with NPs and plant + NPs + HAs, respectively, compared to the HBCD removal in an unplanted soil. The 221-986 ng/g of HBCD were detected inside the plant after the treatments, and HAs showed considerable influence on the selective bioaccumulation of HBCD stereoisomers in the plant. Overall, this approach represents a meaningful attempt to develop an efficient and eco-friendly technology for HBCD removal, and it provides advantages for the sustainable remediation of recalcitrant emerging contaminants in soils.

Impact of nanoparticles on transcriptional regulation of catabolic genes of petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in contaminated soil microcosms

This study was conducted to determine what effects nanoparticles (NPs) like TiO₂ , ZnO, and Ag may pose on natural attenuation processes of petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils. The solid NPs used were identified using x-ray diffraction technique and their average size was certified as 18.2, 16.9, and 18.3 nm for Ag-NPs, ZnO-NPs, and TiO₂ -NPs, respectively. NPs in soil microcosms behave differently where it was dissolved as in case of Ag-NPs, partially dissolved as in ZnO-NPs or changed into other crystalline phase as in TiO₂ -NPs. In this investigation, catabolic gene encoding catechol 2,3 dioxygenase (C23DO) was selected specifically as biomarker for monitoring hydrocarbon biodegradation potential by measuring its transcripts by RT-qPCR. TiO₂ -NPs amended microcosms showed almost no change in C23DO expression profile or bacterial community which were dominated by Bacillus sp., Mycobacterium sp., Microbacterium sp., Clostridium sp., beside uncultured bacteria, including uncultured proteobacteria, Thauera sp. and Clostridia. XRD pattern suggested that TiO₂ -NPs in microcosms were changed into other non-inhibitory crystalline phase, consequently, showing the maximum degradation profile for most low molecular weight oil fractions and partially for the high molecular weight ones. Increasing ZnO-NPs concentration in microcosms resulted in a reduction in the expression of C23DO with a concomitant slight deteriorative effect on bacterial populations ending up with elimination of Clostridium sp., Thauera sp., and uncultured proteobacteria. The oil-degradation efficiency was reduced compared to TiO₂ -NPs amended microcosms. In microcosms, Ag-NPs were not detected in the crystalline form but were available in the ionic form that inhibited most bacterial populations and resulted in a limited degradation profile of oil, specifically the low molecular weight fractions. Ag-NPs amended microcosms showed a significant reduction (80%) in C23DO gene expression and a detrimental effect on bacterial populations including key players like Mycobacterium sp., Microbacterium sp., and Thauera sp. involved in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

Bacterial effects and interfacial inactivation mechanism of nZVI/Pd on Pseudomonas putida strain

With the introduction of nano zero valent iron (nZVI) technology into our environment, its potential environmental risk to environmental microorganisms has attracted considerable attention. In this study, Pseudomonas putida was chosen as a typical strain to study the bacterial toxicity of nZVI/Pd. The CFU assay results indicated that nZVI/Pd was toxic to P. putida cells but the toxicity decreased with an increase in DO. The experiments isolated by dialysis bag and flow cytometry analysis suggested that both membrane disruption caused by direct contact and oxidative stress were the main bactericidal mechanisms under the aerobic condition, while membrane disruption resulting from direct contact was the primary bactericidal mechanism in the anaerobic system. Furthermore, according to TEM, SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR and XPS, it was indicated that in the aerobic system, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by nZVI/Pd could oxidize the amide and hydroxyl groups into carboxyl groups, resulting in a decline in peptides and increase in polysaccharides. In addition, the ROS also accumulated inside the cell and caused cell inactivation via oxidative stress. In the anaerobic system, the adhered nZVI/Pd particles would attack the functional groups such as carboxyl, ester and amide, leading to the decline in proteins and polysaccharides and subsequent damage of the membrane. The findings provide a significant guide for the application of nano-bio combined technology.

The application of iron-based technologies in uranium remediation: A review

Remediating uranium contamination is of worldwide interest because of the increasing release of uranium from mining and processing, nuclear power leaks, depleted uranium components in weapons production and disposal, and phosphate fertilizer in agriculture activities. Iron-based technologies are attractive because they are highly efficient, inexpensive, and readily available. This paper provides an overview of the current literature that addresses the application of iron-based technologies in the remediation of sites with elevated uranium levels. The application of iron-based materials, the current remediation technologies and mechanisms, and the effectiveness and environmental safety considerations of these approaches were discussed. Because uranium can be reduced and reoxidized in the environment, the review also proposes strategies for long-term in situ remediation of uranium. Unfortunately, iron-based materials (nanoscale zerovalent iron and iron oxides) can be toxic to microorganisms. As such, further studies exploring the links among the fates, ecological impacts, and other environmentally relevant factors are needed to better understand the constraints on using iron-based technologies for remediation.

A review of the environmental implications of in situ remediation by nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI): Behavior, transport and impacts on microbial communities

The increasing use of strategies incorporating nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) for soil and groundwater in situ remediation is raising some concerns regarding the potential adverse effects nZVI could have on indigenous microbial communities and ecosystem functioning. This review provides an overview of the current literature pertaining to the impacts of nZVI applications on microbial communities. Toxicity studies suggest that cell membrane disruption and oxidative stress through the generation of Fe(2+) and reactive oxygen species by nZVI are the main mechanisms contributing to nZVI cytotoxicity. In addition, nZVI has been shown to substantially alter the taxonomic and functional composition of indigenous microbial communities. However, because the physico-chemical conditions encountered in situ highly modulate nZVI toxicity, a better understanding of the environmental factors affecting nZVI toxicity and transport in the environment is of primary importance in evaluating the ecological consequences that could result from a more extensive use of nZVI.

Toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on Pseudomonas putida

The increasing use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in industrial and household applications will very likely lead to the release of such materials into the environment. As wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are usually the last barrier before the water is discharged into the environment, it is important to understand the effects of these materials in the biotreatment processes, since the results in the literature are usually contradictory. We proposed the use of flow cytometry (FC) technology to obtain conclusive results. Aqueous solutions of TiO2 nanoparticles (0-2 mg mL(-1)) were used to check its toxicity effect using Pseudomonas putida as simplified model of real sludge over room light. Physiological changes in P. putida from viable to viable but non-culturable cells were observed by flow cytometry in presence of TiO2. The damaged and dead cell concentrations were below 5% in all cases under study. Both FSC and SSC parameter increased with TiO2 dose dependent manner, indicating nanoparticles uptake by the bacteria. The biological removal of salicylic acid (SA) was also significantly impacted by the presence of TiO2 in the medium reducing the efficiency. The use of FC allows also to develop and fit segregated kinetic models, giving the impact of TiO2 nanoparticles in the physiological subpopulations growth and implications for SA removal.

Nano/bio treatment of polychlorinated biphenyls with evaluation of comparative toxicity

The persistence of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1248 in soils and sediments is a major concern because of its toxicity and presence at high concentrations. In this study, we developed an integrated remediation system for PCBs using chemical catalysis and biodegradation. The dechlorination of Aroclor 1248 was achieved by treatment with bimetallic nanoparticles Pd/nFe under anoxic conditions. Among the 32 PCB congeners of Aroclor 1248 examined, our process dechlorinated 99%, 92%, 84%, and 28% of tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexachlorinated biphenyls, respectively. The resulting biphenyl was biodegraded rapidly by Burkholderia xenovorans LB400. Benzoic acid was detected as an intermediate during the biodegradation process. The toxicity of the residual PCBs after nano-bio treatment was evaluated in terms of toxic equivalent values which decreased from 33.8×10(-5)μgg(-1) to 9.5×10(-5)μgg(-1). The residual PCBs also had low cytotoxicity toward Escherichia coli as demonstrated by lower reactive oxygen species levels, lower glutathione peroxidase activity, and a reduced number of dead bacteria.