Altered toxicity of organic pollutants in water originated from simultaneous exposure to UV photolysis and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots.
The paper reports unforeseen results of increased toxicity of water, subsequent to interactions between CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), phenol and toluene under UV irradiation. The consistent pattern of changes in measured toxicity (TU) was observed and correlated with degradation of phenol and/or toluene. Spearman rank coefficients (SRCs) for data pairs sum-parameters vs. TU were calculated. The highest correlation between toxicity and degradation by-products was observed for hydroquinone (0.86) and catechol (0.89). The presence of QDs in tested concentration range in the absence of UV has shown low toxicity and no interactions with phenol and/or toluene. The leak of constituent core and shell metal ions was observed. The minor differences in physical characteristics of tested QDs of the same chemical composition led to rather different degradation patterns of phenol and toluene, and the amount of leak of the metal ions as well.
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Jackson State University, 1400 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. hkusic@fkit.hr
Hrvoje
H
Kušić
Danuta
D
Leszczynska
D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri / Q000187:drug effects; D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002396:Catechols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D007477:Ions / Q000737:chemistry; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D010782:Photolysis; D045663:Quantum Dots; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D014050:Toluene / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D002396:Catechols; D006873:Hydroquinones; D007477:Ions; D010636:Phenols; D018036:Selenium Compounds; D013440:Sulfides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D014050:Toluene; C058667:cadmium selenide; C031238:zinc sulfide; C034221:catechol; C031927:hydroquinone