title: Effects of copper particles on a model septic system's function and microbial community.
abstract: There is concern surrounding the addition of nanoparticles into consumer products due to toxicity potential and the increased risk of human and environmental exposures to these particles. Copper nanoparticles are found in many common consumer goods; therefore, the disposal and subsequent interactions between potentially toxic Cu-based nanoparticles and microbial communities may have detrimental impacts on wastewater treatment processes. This study investigates the effects of three copper particles (micron- and nano-scale Cu particles, and a nano-scale Cu(OH)2-based fungicide) on the function and operation of a model septic tank. Septic system analyses included water quality evaluations and microbial community characterizations to detect changes in and relationships between the septic tank function and microbial community phenotype/genotype. As would be expected for optimal wastewater treatment, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) was reduced by at least 63% during nano-scale Cu exposure, indicating normal function. pH was reduced to below the optimum anaerobic fermentation range during the micro Cu exposure, suggesting incomplete degradation of organic waste may have occurred. The copper fungicide, Cu(OH)2, caused a 57% increase in total organic carbon (TOC), which is well above the typical range for septic systems and also corresponded to increased BOD5 during the majority of the Cu(OH)2 exposure. The changes in TOC and BOD5 demonstrate that the system was improperly treating waste. Overall, results imply individual exposures to the three Cu particles caused distinct disruptions in septic tank function. However, it was observed that the system was able to recover to typical operating conditions after three weeks post-exposure. These results imply that during periods of Cu introduction, there are likely pulses of improper removal of total organic carbon and significant changes in pH not in the optimal range for the system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Alicia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA. Electronic address: swalker@engr.ucr.edu.
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: BOD; Copper; Nanomaterial; Septic tank; Water quality
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Jul;72(7):4942-9
references.pmid: 16820491
references.citation: Environ Health Perspect. 2011 Mar;119(3):a120-5
references.pmid: 21356630
references.citation: Microb Ecol. 1987 Mar;13(2):103-14
references.pmid: 24213209
references.citation: Aquat Toxicol. 2007 Aug 30;84(2):162-72
references.pmid: 17643507
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2014 Nov 4;48(21):12561-8
references.pmid: 25295836
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Mar;77(5):1541-7
references.pmid: 21193661
references.citation: J Colloid Interface Sci. 2011 Aug 15;360(2):548-55
references.pmid: 21640358
references.citation: J Environ Manage. 2004 Feb;70(2):101-7
references.pmid: 15160736
references.citation: Water Res. 2008 Apr;42(8-9):2300-8
references.pmid: 18206208
references.citation: J Appl Microbiol. 2009 Aug;107(2):385-94
references.pmid: 19486432
references.citation: Environ Pollut. 2009 May;157(5):1619-25
references.pmid: 19185963
references.citation: Acta Biomater. 2008 May;4(3):707-16
references.pmid: 18248860
references.citation: Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2012 Jun;23(3):452-9
references.pmid: 22197171
references.citation: Water Res. 2002 Nov;36(18):4513-24
references.pmid: 12418654
references.citation: Bioresour Technol. 2008 Jul;99(10):4044-64
references.pmid: 17399981
references.citation: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 2002 Aug;81(1-4):665-80
references.pmid: 12448762
references.citation: J Microbiol Methods. 2001 Jan;43(3):153-64
references.pmid: 11118650
references.citation: Bioresour Technol. 2011 Nov;102(22):10305-11
references.pmid: 21925874
references.citation: J Environ Qual. 2008 Nov-Dec;37(6):2108-15
references.pmid: 18948464
references.citation: Water Res. 2007 Feb;41(3):627-37
references.pmid: 17184810
references.citation: Science. 2006 Feb 3;311(5761):622-7
references.pmid: 16456071
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Aug;65(8):3697-704
references.pmid: 10427068
references.citation: Water Res. 2014 Jan 1;48:317-25
references.pmid: 24120408
references.citation: Water Res. 2011 Nov 15;45(18):6039-50
references.pmid: 21940033
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2011 May 1;45(9):3902-8
references.pmid: 21466186
references.citation: Water Res. 2008 Jun;42(12):3066-74
references.pmid: 18359055
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Sep 1;43(17):6757-63
references.pmid: 19764246
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Feb;41(2):518-27
references.pmid: 16345721
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Jun 1;42(11):4133-9
references.pmid: 18589977
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2011 Apr 1;45(7):2826-32
references.pmid: 21381661
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2006 Jul 15;40(14):4336-45
references.pmid: 16903268
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2000 Sep;66(9):4058-67
references.pmid: 10966429
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 May;75(10):3348-51
references.pmid: 19304840
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Apr;79(8):2552-9
references.pmid: 23396331
references.citation: J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng. 2001;36(4):395-401
references.pmid: 11413826
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Nov 15;43(22):8622-8
references.pmid: 20028062
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Mar 15;43(6):1838-44
references.pmid: 19368180
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1984 Jul;48(1):157-64
references.pmid: 16346582
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Jul 1;44(13):5008-14
references.pmid: 20540542
references.citation: Water Res. 2010 Jul;44(14):4105-14
references.pmid: 20547403
references.citation: ACS Nano. 2010 Jun 22;4(6):3363-73
references.pmid: 20481555
references.citation: J Environ Monit. 2011 May;13(5):1195-203
references.pmid: 21494702
references.citation: Microb Ecol. 2006 Aug;52(2):311-21
references.pmid: 16874554
references.citation: Annu Rev Microbiol. 1987;41:25-49
references.pmid: 3318670
references.citation: Environ Microbiol. 2000 Feb;2(1):69-78
references.pmid: 11243264
references.citation: Water Res. 2008 May;42(10-11):2814-26
references.pmid: 18359056
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2005 Mar 15;39(6):1802-10
references.pmid: 15819240
references.citation: J Appl Microbiol. 2005;98(4):910-20
references.pmid: 15752338
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2008 Aug 1;42(15):5828-33
references.pmid: 18754516
references.citation: J Hazard Mater. 2012 Jan 15;199-200:64-72
references.pmid: 22088500
references.citation: Bioresour Technol. 2012 Aug;117:72-9
references.pmid: 22609716
references.citation: ACS Nano. 2008 Oct 28;2(10):2121-34
references.pmid: 19206459
references.citation: Langmuir. 2007 Aug 14;23(17):8670-3
references.pmid: 17658863
references.citation: ACS Nano. 2015 Feb 24;9(2):2038-48
references.pmid: 25625504
references.citation: Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Oct 1;44(19):7509-14
references.pmid: 20839838
references.citation: Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Mar;118(3):407-13
references.pmid: 20064793