Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers

Environmental Pollution
By: , and 

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Abstract

Understanding the behavior of engineered nanoparticles in the environment and within organisms is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the safe development of nanotechnologies. Reliable tracing is a particular issue for nanoparticles such as ZnO, because Zn is an essential element and a common pollutant thus present at elevated background concentrations. We synthesized isotopically enriched (89.6%) with a rare isotope of Zn (67Zn) ZnO nanoparticles and measured the uptake of 67Zn by L. stagnalis exposed to diatoms amended with the particles. Stable isotope technique is sufficiently sensitive to determine the uptake of Zn at an exposure equivalent to lower concentration range (<15 μg g−1). Without a tracer, detection of newly accumulated Zn is significant at Zn exposure concentration only above 5000 μg g−1 which represents some of the most contaminated Zn conditions. Only by using a tracer we can study Zn uptake at a range of environmentally realistic exposure conditions.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Synthesis of isotopically modified ZnO nanoparticles and their potential as nanotoxicity tracers
Series title Environmental Pollution
DOI 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.08.032
Volume 159
Issue 1
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 8 p.
First page 266
Last page 273
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