An improved permeability model for fractal aggregates settling in creeping flow

Evaluation of Toxicity Ranking for Metal Oxide Nanoparticles via an in Vitro Dosimetry Model

It has been argued that in vitro toxicity testing of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) should consider delivered dose (i.e., NP mass settled per suspension volume) rather than relying exclusively on administered dose (initial NP mass concentration). Delivered dose calculations require quantification of NP sedimentation in tissue cell culture media, taking into consideration fundamental suspension properties. In this article, we calculate delivered dose using a first-principles "particles in a box" sedimentation model, which accounts for the particle size distribution, fractal dimension, and permeability of agglomerated NPs. The sedimentation model was evaluated against external and our own experimental sedimentation data for metal oxide NPs. We then utilized the model to construct delivered dose-response analysis for a library of metal oxide NPs (previously used for hazard ranking and prediction making) in different cell culture media. Hierarchical hazard ranking of the seven (out of 24) toxic metal oxide NPs in our library, using EC50 calculated on the basis of delivered dose, did not measurably differ from our ranking based on administered dose. In contrast, simplified sedimentation calculations based on the assumption of impermeable NP agglomerates of a single average size significantly underestimated the settled NPs' mass, resulting in misinterpretation of toxicity ranking. It is acknowledged that in vitro dose-response outcomes are likely to be shaped by complex toxicodynamics, which include NP/cellular association, triggering of dynamic cell response pathways involved in NP uptake, and multiple physicochemical parameters that influence NP sedimentation and internalization.

Advective flow in a sludge floc

The interior of sludge floc is highly heterogeneous, while the large pores in the floc control the advective flow. This work for the first time numerically details fluid flow and mass transfer processes in pores of activated sludge floc. The dimensionless permeabilities and mass dispersion coefficients were contoured against pore size ratio and the floc Reynolds number. With a pore size less than 20% of the floc size, the commonly adopted homogeneous model overestimates the floc permeability, and pore velocity is less than 2% of the bulk velocity. This is particularly true for flocs with low porosity. Although the convective flux is low, the dispersive mass transfer rate can be much higher than the diffusional rate, attributable to the strong Taylor dispersion effect. The three-dimensional pore structures in waste activated-sludge floc were identified using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) images. Large pores were used to numerically estimate the permeability and dispersion coefficient for these pores. The permeability and the dispersion coefficient of the tortuous pores can be one order of magnitude lower than those for the equivalent straight pores. Besides the dispersion effect, the pore tortuosity appeared as the most important geometrical factor retarding the advective flow in the sludge pores. In addition, the small side pores connected to the large pore had only a mild effect on the flow process, and can be neglected in analysis.