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Agglomeration and sedimentation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO2) in synthetic and real waters

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Abstract

The recent detection of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO2) in wastewaters raised concerns about its fate in the aquatic environment, which is related to its mobility through water bodies. Laboratory experiments of n-TiO2 (particle size distribution: 10–65 nm) dispersed into both synthetic and real aqueous solutions under environmentally realistic concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/l) were conducted over a time of 50 h to mimic duration of ecotoxicological tests. Agglomeration and sedimentation behaviour were measured under controlled conditions of salinity (0–35 ‰), ionic composition and strength, pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Physico-chemical parameters and particle agglomeration in the dispersions were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer, Emmett and Teller method and dynamic light scattering. A fluorescence spectrophotometer operating in the nephelometric mode was employed to obtain the sedimentation rates of n-TiO2. The overall results showed that agglomeration and sedimentation of n-TiO2 were affected mainly by the initial concentration. Sedimentation data fitted satisfactorily (R 2 in the range of 0.74–0.98; average R 2: 0.90) with a first-order kinetic equation.The settling rate constant, k, increased by approx. one order of magnitude by moving from the lowest to the highest concentration, resulting very similar especially for all dispersions at 1(k = 8 × 10−6 s−1) and 10 mg/l (k = 2 × 10−5 s−1) n-TiO2, regardless the ionic strength and composition of dispersions. The implication of these results on toxicological testing is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly supported by Veneto Nanotech (Padua, Italy) through a Ph.D. sponsorship programme. The authors thankfully acknowledge Riccardo Cossi (Qi srl, Pomezia, Italy) for the valuable technical support. The support of Michele Gallo, Davide Marchetto, Dagmar Bilaničová and Alessandra Moccia (University Ca’ Foscari Venice) for sedimentation experiments, DLS analysis and mathematical treatment of experimental data, respectively, is also gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Giulio Pojana

    Present address: Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage, University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Malcanton Marcorà-Dorsoduro 3484/D, 30123, Venice, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca’ Foscari Venice, Calle Larga S. Marta 2137, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Andrea Brunelli, Giulio Pojana, Sarah Callegaro & Antonio Marcomini

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  1. Andrea Brunelli
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Correspondence to Antonio Marcomini.

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Brunelli, A., Pojana, G., Callegaro, S. et al. Agglomeration and sedimentation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO2) in synthetic and real waters. J Nanopart Res 15, 1684 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-013-1684-4

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