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Blancho F, Lapointe M, Quevedo AC, Kannan K, Tufenkji N. Demonstrating scale-up of a novel water treatment process using super-bridging agents. Water Res 2024; 254:121301. [PMID: 38417265 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Fiber-based materials have emerged as a promising option to increase the efficiency of water treatment plants while reducing their environmental impacts, notably by reducing the use of unsustainable chemicals and the size of the settling tank. Cellulose fiber-based super-bridging agents are sustainable, reusable, and versatile materials that considerably improve floc separation in conventional settling tanks or via alternative screening separation methods. In this study, the effectiveness of fiber-based materials for wastewater treatment was evaluated at lab-scale (0.25 L) and at pilot-scale (20 L) for two separation methods, namely settling and screening. For the fiber-based method, the performance of floc separation during settling was slightly affected by an 80x upscaling factor. A small decrease in turbidity removal from 93 and 86 % was observed for the jar and pilot tests, respectively. By contrast, the turbidity removal of the conventional treatment, i.e., no fibers with a settling separation, was largely affected by the upscaling with turbidity removals of 84 and 49 % for jar and pilot tests, respectively. Therefore, results are suggesting that fiber-based super-bridging agents could be implemented in full-scale water treatment plants. Moreover, the tested fibers increase the robustness of treatment by providing better floc removal than conventional treatment under several challenging conditions such as low settling time and screening with coarse screen mesh size. Furthermore, at both lab-scale and pilot-scale, the use of fiber-based materials reduced the demand for coagulant and flocculant, potentially lowering the operational costs of water treatment plants and reducing the accumulation of metal-based coagulants and synthetic polymers in sludge. Acute toxicity tests using the model organism Daphnia magna show that the cellulose fibers introduce insignificant toxicity at the optimized fiber concentration. Although dedicated mechanistic studies are required at various scales to understand in detail the influence of fibers on water treatment (coagulation/flocculation time, floc formation, floc size distribution velocity gradient, etc.), the efficacy and scalability of the fiber-based approach, along with its minimal environmental impact, position it as a viable and sustainable option for existing and future wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Blancho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Mathieu Lapointe
- Department of Construction Engineering, École de technologie supérieure - University of Québec, Québec H3C 1K3, Canada.
| | - Ana C Quevedo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Krishnaveni Kannan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada
| | - Nathalie Tufenkji
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada.
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Caprise MA, Quevedo AC, Riley KR. Quantitative separation of polystyrene nanoparticles in environmental matrices with picogram detection limits using capillary electrophoresis. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 60:63-66. [PMID: 38018288 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04588a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
We developed a capillary electrophoresis method to separate polystyrene particles (PSPs) with different sizes or different surface functionalities. Separations were performed in buffer and 100 mg L-1 clay or 100 mg L-1 Suwanee River humic acid. In all solutions, PSPs were baseline or near-baseline resolved in less than 15 minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Caprise
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
| | - Ana C Quevedo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A0C5, Canada
| | - Kathryn R Riley
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, 500 College Ave, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
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C. Quevedo A, Ellis LJA, Lynch I, Valsami-Jones E. Correction: Quevedo et al. Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticle Uptake by Embryonic Zebrafish Cells. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2699. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:nano12020225. [PMID: 35055314 PMCID: PMC8781391 DOI: 10.3390/nano12020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Dong F, Quevedo AC, Wang X, Valsami-Jones E, Kreft JU. Experimental evolution of Pseudomonas putida under silver ion versus nanoparticle stress. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:905-918. [PMID: 34904333 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Whether the antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are simply due to the release of silver ions (Ag+ ) or, additionally, nanoparticle-specific effects, is not clear. We used experimental evolution of the model environmental bacterium Pseudomonas putida to ask whether bacteria respond differently to Ag+ or AgNP treatment. We pre-evolved five cultures of strain KT2440 for 70 days without Ag to reduce confounding adaptations before dividing the fittest pre-evolved culture into five cultures each, evolving in the presence of low concentrations of Ag+ , well-defined AgNPs or Ag-free controls for a further 75 days. The mutations in the Ag+ or AgNP evolved populations displayed different patterns that were statistically significant. The non-synonymous mutations in AgNP-treated populations were mostly associated with cell surface proteins, including cytoskeletal membrane protein (FtsZ), membrane sensor and regulator (EnvZ and GacS) and periplasmic protein (PP_2758). In contrast, Ag+ treatment was selected for mutations linked to cytoplasmic proteins, including metal ion transporter (TauB) and those with metal-binding domains (ThiL and PP_2397). These results suggest the existence of AgNP-specific effects, either caused by sustained delivery of Ag+ from AgNP dissolution, more proximate delivery from cell-surface bound AgNPs, or by direct AgNP action on the cell's outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Dong
- School of Biosciences & Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI) & Centre for Computational Biology (CCB), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ana C Quevedo
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Xiang Wang
- School of Biosciences & Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI) & Centre for Computational Biology (CCB), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Eugenia Valsami-Jones
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jan-Ulrich Kreft
- School of Biosciences & Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI) & Centre for Computational Biology (CCB), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
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Quevedo AC, Guggenheim E, Briffa SM, Adams J, Lofts S, Kwak M, Lee TG, Johnston C, Wagner S, Holbrook TR, Hachenberger YU, Tentschert J, Davidson N, Valsami-Jones E. UV-Vis Spectroscopic Characterization of Nanomaterials in Aqueous Media. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 34747394 DOI: 10.3791/61764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials (NMs) is often an analytical challenge, due to their small size (at least one dimension in the nanoscale, i.e. 1-100 nm), dynamic nature, and diverse properties. At the same time, reliable and repeatable characterization is paramount to ensure safety and quality in the manufacturing of NM-bearing products. There are several methods available to monitor and achieve reliable measurement of nanoscale-related properties, one example of which is Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis). This is a well-established, simple, and inexpensive technique that provides non-invasive and fast real-time screening evaluation of NM size, concentration, and aggregation state. Such features make UV-Vis an ideal methodology to assess the proficiency testing schemes (PTS) of a validated standard operating procedure (SOP) intended to evaluate the performance and reproducibility of a characterization method. In this paper, the PTS of six partner laboratories from the H2020 project ACEnano were assessed through an interlaboratory comparison (ILC). Standard gold (Au) colloid suspensions of different sizes (ranging 5-100 nm) were characterized by UV-Vis at the different institutions to develop an implementable and robust protocol for NM size characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Quevedo
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Emily Guggenheim
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Sophie M Briffa
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
| | - Jessica Adams
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; Natural England
| | | | - Minjeong Kwak
- Center for Nanosafety Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS)
| | - Tae Geol Lee
- Center for Nanosafety Metrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS)
| | | | - Stephan Wagner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research
| | - Timothy R Holbrook
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research
| | - Yves U Hachenberger
- Department of Chemical and Product Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
| | - Jutta Tentschert
- Department of Chemical and Product Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
| | - Nicholas Davidson
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
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Quevedo AC, Ellis LJA, Lynch I, Valsami-Jones E. Mechanisms of Silver Nanoparticle Uptake by Embryonic Zebrafish Cells. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021; 11:2699. [PMID: 34685144 PMCID: PMC8541679 DOI: 10.3390/nano11102699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of the uptake pathways in cells during exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) is key for risk assessment and the development of safer nanomaterials, as the internalisation and fate of NPs is linked to their toxicity and mode of action. Here, we determined the uptake mechanisms activated during the internalisation of 10, 30, and 100 nm AgNPs by embryonic zebrafish cells (ZF4). The uptake results demonstrated an NP size- and time-dependent uptake, showing the highest total silver uptake for the smallest AgNP (10 nm) at the lowest exposure concentration (2.5 μg/mL) after 2 h, while after 24 h, the highest exposure concentration (10 μg/mL) of the 10 nm AgNPs revealed the highest cellular load at 8 pg/cell. Inhibition of the caveolae, clathrin, and macropinocytosis endocytic pathways by pharmaceutical inhibitors (genistein, chlorpromazine, and wortmannin respectively) revealed that uptake was mainly via macropinocytosis for the 10 nm AgNPs and via the caveolae-mediated pathway for the 30 and 100 nm AgNPs. The induction of autophagy was also strongly related to the NP size, showing the highest percentage of induction for the 10 nm (around 3%) compared to naive cells, suggesting that autophagy can be activated along with endocytosis to deal with exposure to NPs. TEM imaging revealed the distribution of NPs across the cytoplasm inside intracellular vesicles. An increase in Early Endosome formation (EE) was observed for the 30 and 100 nm sizes, whereas the 10 nm AgNPs disrupted the activity of EE. The data supports the establishment of adverse outcome pathways by increasing knowledge on the link between a molecular initiating event such as receptor-mediated endocytosis and an adverse outcome, as well as supporting the reduction of animal testing by using alternative testing models, such as fish cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Quevedo
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (L.-J.A.E.); (E.V.-J.)
| | - Laura-Jayne A. Ellis
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (L.-J.A.E.); (E.V.-J.)
| | - Iseult Lynch
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; (L.-J.A.E.); (E.V.-J.)
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Quevedo AC, Lynch I, Valsami-Jones E. Silver nanoparticle induced toxicity and cell death mechanisms in embryonic zebrafish cells. Nanoscale 2021; 13:6142-6161. [PMID: 33734251 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr09024g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cell death is the process that regulates homeostasis and biochemical changes in healthy cells. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) act as powerful cell death inducers through the disruption of cellular signalling functions. In this study, embryonic zebrafish cells (ZF4) were used as a potential early-stage aquatic model to evaluate the molecular and cell death mechanisms implicated in the toxicity of AgNPs and Ag+. Here, a low, medium, and high concentration (2.5, 5, and 10 μg mL-1) of three different sizes of AgNPs (10, 30 and 100 nm) and ionic Ag+ (1, 1.5 and 2 μg mL-1) were used to investigate whether the size of the nanomaterial, ionic form, and mass concentration were related to the activation of particular cell death mechanisms and/or induction of different signalling pathways. Changes in the physicochemical properties of the AgNPs were also assessed in the presence of complex medium (cell culture) and reference testing medium (ultra-pure water). Results demonstrated that AgNPs underwent dissolution, as well as changes in hydrodynamic size, zeta potential and polydispersity index in both tested media depending on particle size and concentration. Similarly, exposure dose played a key role in regulating the different cell death modalities (apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy), and the signalling pathways (repair mechanisms) in cells that were activated in the attempt to overcome the induced damage. This study contributes to the 3Rs initiative to replace, reduce and refine animal experimentation through the use of alternative models for nanomaterials assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Quevedo
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, Edgbaston, UK.
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Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus produces serious illnesses that are commonly associated with shellfish consumption, particularly raw oysters. Ingestion can result in fatal septicemia in susceptible individuals with hepatitis, cirrhosis, immune dysfunction, diabetes, or hemochromatosis (metabolic iron overload). Therefore, postharvest treatments to reduce vibrio levels in oysters have been recommended. In this study, rapid chilling by immersion of unwashed whole oysters in ice for 3 h was assessed as a postharvest treatment for reduction of V. vulnificus. Treated oysters were subsequently refrigerated at 45 degrees F (7.2 degrees C), whereas control oysters were not iced but were maintained at 45 degrees F throughout the study. Homogenized meats were monitored for total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria, V. vulnificus, and fecal coliform content before and after treatment over a 2-week period. V. vulnificus was enumerated by DNA probe hybridization of colonies from standard plate counts on nonselective medium, and recovery was compared for several media. Loss of plating efficiency was observed on standard selective and differential media compared with nonselective agars. Numbers of V. vulnificus generally declined in treated samples compared with controls; however, increases in total heterotrophic bacteria and fecal coliforms were also observed in treated samples at some time points. This study does not support the use of ice immersion as a postharvest method because of the relatively small declines in V. vulnificus numbers and the possibility of concomitant increases in fecal coliform and total bacterial contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Quevedo
- University of Florida, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, P.O. Box 110370, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
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