Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/23225
Title: Susceptibility of constructed wetland microbial communities to silver nanoparticles: A microcosm study
Authors: Button, Mark
Auvinen, Hannele
Van Koetsem, Frederik
HOSSEINKHANI, Baharak 
Rousseau, Diederik
Weber, Kela P.
Du Laing, Gijs
Issue Date: 2016
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Source: ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, 97, p. 476-485
Abstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used as an antimicrobial agent in various consumer products. Silver release from these products occurs during use, washing and disposal at varying rates, into the wastewater system and eventually into aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands (wetlands designed for water pollution control) represent a unique type of water treatment system which are beginning to receive growing amounts of influent AgNP loadings. In order to examine potential impacts to the health and ongoing utility of constructed wetlands we evaluated the susceptibility and the developed resistence of constructed wetland microbial communities to two types of AgNPs (citrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated), and ionic Ag (Ag+). Microcosms representing an unplanted batch-fed subsurface flow constructed wetland were exposed to an AgNP contaminated (100 mu g/l) simulated wastewater for 28 days. Experiments were triplicated and included unexposed controls. Analysis of total Ag in the interstitial water and biofilm matrix via inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) revealed the majority (>98%) of AgNPs partitioned from the interstitial water and accumulated in the biofilm and presumably the sediment matrix. No significant alteration to the microbial community function (assessed via community-level physiological profiling, CLPP) or structure (using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) was observed following the initial 28 day exposure. Subsequent ex-situ dose-response testing over a wide concentration range (0-5 mu g/l) provided some evidence for increased resistance to Ag toxicity in the previously exposed microbial communities when compared to the controls. The ex-situ evaluated susceptibility of the microbial communities to AgNPs varied between treatments with significant reductions in catabolic activity observed at 0.5 mg/l for ionic Ag, 1 mg/l for citrate coated AgNPs and 5 mg/l for PVP coated AgNPs. These findings suggest that wetland microbial communities can tolerate and develop resistance to lower levels of in-situ AgNP exposure in a relatively short time, however ex-situ toxicity is observed past certain threshold concentrations and this threshold varies depending on the original form of the AgNP. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Notes: [Button, Mark; Weber, Kela P.] Royal Mil Coll Canada, Dept Chem & Chem Engn, Environm Sci Grp, POB 17000, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada. [Auvinen, Hannele; Van Koetsem, Frederik; Du Laing, Gijs] Univ Ghent, Fac Biosci Engn, Lab Analyt Chem & Appl Ecochem, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. [Auvinen, Hannele; Rousseau, Diederik] Univ Ghent, Fac Biosci Engn, Lab Ind Water & Ecotechnol, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, B-8500 Kortrijk, Belgium. [Hosseinkhani, Baharak] Univ Ghent, Fac Biosci Engn, Ctr Microbial Ecol & Technol, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. [Hosseinkhani, Baharak] Hasselt Univ, Biomed Res Inst, Martelarenlaan 42, B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium.
Keywords: constructed wetland; microbial community; biofilm; silver nanoparticle; resistance; toxicity; community level physiological profiling; denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis;Constructed wetland; Microbial community; Biofilm; Silver nanoparticle; Resistance; Toxicity; Community level physiological profiling; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis
Document URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1942/23225
ISSN: 0925-8574
e-ISSN: 1872-6992
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.10.033
ISI #: 000388580200050
Rights: © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Category: A1
Type: Journal Contribution
Validations: ecoom 2017
Appears in Collections:Research publications

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