Projects per year
Abstract
Remediation of metal-contaminated soils and waters using nanoparticles is highly limited by their strong tendency to aggregate in soil solution and natural water. In order to enhance the remediation of Hg0-contaminated soil solution and groundwater by Se nanoparticles (SeNPs), the effects of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the stability of SeNPs and Hg0 removal were investigated. EPS from the selenite-reducing bacterium Citrobacter freundii Y9 were found to make SeNPs more negatively charged by strong adsorption, which significantly enhanced the stability of SeNPs. The protein, carboxylate, polysaccharide and lipid components of the EPS were involved in the adsorption to SeNPs. Fluorescence quenching titration measurements implied that the binding of proteinaceous substances in the EPS to SeNPs was static quenching. EPS can therefore enhance the remediation efficiency of SeNPs for soil solution and groundwater contaminated with Hg0. This study highlights that bacterial EPS can be used as an effective natural dispersant for SeNPs, therefore improving the efficiency of mercury immobilization in contaminated waters.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 456-466 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Environmental Science: Nano |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 12 Dec 2017 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2018 |
Keywords
- Aggregation
- dispersant
- EPS
- fluorescence quenching titration
- remediation
- mercury
- selenium
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science (miscellaneous)
- General Environmental Science
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Dive into the research topics of 'Stabilizing interaction of exopolymers with nano-Se and impact on mercury immobilization in soil and groundwater'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Tellurium and Selenium Cycling and Supply (Joint with Universities of Leicester, Durham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Open University and Natural History Museum)
Gadd , G. M. (Investigator)
1/05/15 → 4/03/20
Project: Research
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COG3: The Geology, Geometallurgy and Geomicrobiology of Cobalt Resources Leading to New Product Streams (joint with Natural History Museum and Universities of Manchester, Bangor, Exeter, Loughborough and Southampton and Industrial Partner)
Gadd , G. M. (Investigator)
1/05/15 → 31/03/21
Project: Research