Influence of fullerene (C60) on soil bacterial communities: aqueous aggregate size and solvent co-introduction effects.
Fullerene C60 nanoparticles are being used in broad range of applications. It is important to assess their potential impacts in the environment. We evaluated the effects of C60 introduced as aqueous suspensions of nC60 aggregates of different particle size or via organic solvents on soils with different organic matter contents in this study. Impacts of the application were evaluated by measuring total microbial biomass, metabolic activity and bacterial community structure. Results show that nC60 aggregates, introduced as an aqueous suspension, had size-dependent effects on soil bacterial community composition in the low organic matter system, but induced minimal change in the microbial biomass and metabolic activity in soils with both high and low organic matter contents. Fullerene C60, co-introduced via an organic solvent, did not influence the response of soil microbes to the organic solvents. Our results suggest that nC60 aggregates of smaller size may have negative impact on soil biota and soil organic matter may play a key role in modulating the environmental effect of nanomaterials.
CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Chemistry, University of Science &Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.|College of Agriculture - Laboratory for Soil Microbiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Zhong-Hua
ZH
Tong
College of Agriculture - Laboratory for Soil Microbiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Marianne
M
Bischoff
Environmental and Ecological Engineering and the School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Loring F
LF
Nies
Department of Agriculture and Biology Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Natalie J
NJ
Carroll
Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Bruce
B
Applegate
College of Agriculture - Laboratory for Soil Microbiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Ronald F
RF
Turco
D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*
D037741:Fullerenes; D012997:Solvents; C069837:fullerene C60