Single particle ICP-MS characterization of titanium dioxide, silver, and gold nanoparticles during drinking water treatment.
One of the most direct means for human exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) released into the environment is drinking water. Therefore, it is critical to understand the occurrence and fate of NPs in drinking water systems. The objectives of this study were to develop rapid and reliable analytical methods and apply them to investigate the fate and transportation of NPs during drinking water treatments. Rapid single particle ICP-MS (SP-ICP-MS) methods were developed to characterize and quantify titanium-containing, titanium dioxide, silver, and gold NP concentration, size, size distribution, and dissolved metal element concentration in surface water and treated drinking water. The effectiveness of conventional drinking water treatments (including lime softening, alum coagulation, filtration, and disinfection) to remove NPs from surface water was evaluated using six-gang stirrer jar test simulations. The selected NPs were nearly completely (97 ± 3%) removed after lime softening and alum coagulation/activated carbon adsorption treatments. Additionally, source and drinking waters from three large drinking water treatment facilities utilizing similar treatments with the simulation test were collected and analyzed by the SP-ICP-MS methods. Ti-containing particles and dissolved Ti were present in the river water samples, but Ag and Au were not present. Treatments used at each drinking water treatment facility effectively removed over 93% of the Ti-containing particles and dissolved Ti from the source water.
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Research Center, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, 65409, United States; Center for Single Nanoparticle, Single Cell, and Single Molecule Monitoring (CS(3)M), Rolla, MO, 65409, United States.
Ariel R
AR
Donovan
Center for Single Nanoparticle, Single Cell, and Single Molecule Monitoring (CS(3)M), Rolla, MO, 65409, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84321, United States.
Craig D
CD
Adams
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Research Center, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, 65409, United States; Center for Single Nanoparticle, Single Cell, and Single Molecule Monitoring (CS(3)M), Rolla, MO, 65409, United States.
Yinfa
Y
Ma
PerkinElmer, Inc., 501 Rowntree Dairy Rd, Woodbridge, ON, L4L 8H1, Canada.
Chady
C
Stephan
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Jefferson City, MO 65102, United States.
Todd
T
Eichholz
Department of Chemistry and Environmental Research Center, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, 65409, United States; Center for Single Nanoparticle, Single Cell, and Single Molecule Monitoring (CS(3)M), Rolla, MO, 65409, United States. Electronic address: honglan@mst.edu.
Honglan
H
Shi
D000327:Adsorption; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D004203:Disinfection; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis; D005374:Filtration; D005427:Flocculation; D006046:Gold / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis*; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis*; D014025:Titanium / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014880:Water Softening
D000534:Alum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D060766:Drinking Water; D010087:Oxides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; C041524:aluminum sulfate; D012834:Silver; D002244:Carbon; D006046:Gold; C016538:lime; D014025:Titanium
Drinking water treatment; Nanoparticle removal; Nanoparticles occurrence; Single particle-ICP-MS