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Detection of TiO2 Nanoparticles in Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant and Their Characterization Using Single Particle ICP-MS

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology volume 98, pages 595–600 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Establishment of analytical methods for detection and characterization of nanoparticles in the environment are gaining prominence across the globe. The present study was designed to quantify titanium (Ti) and to characterize titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNP) from a municipal sewage treatment plant, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The concentrations of Ti & TNP were 1085 & 13.6 mg/kg in the influent sewage and 298 & 3.3 mg/kg in the aeration tank contents, respectively. The size of TNP ranged between 71–145 nm in the sludge fraction. Determining environmentally realistic concentrations of TNP could serve as a tracer material for characterization of those nanomaterials with similar size and aggregation properties. Furthermore, inference of Ti and TNP in municipal sewage in the study will also help in environmental risk assessment of nanomaterials.

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Acknowledgements

SGP, VGRK and SPB as principal investigator, co-investigator and senior research fellow respectively, thank Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for funding this research study vide Project No. BT/PR6592/GBD/27/446/2012. The views and opinions expressed in this research article are solely of the authors and should not be construed as opinions of the affiliating organizations.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500078, India

    Siva Prasad Bitragunta & Sankar Ganesh Palani

  2. Verder Scientific Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, Telangana, 500076, India

    Anil Gopala

  3. Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, West Bengal, 700019, India

    Santosh Kumar Sarkar

  4. Central Facilities for Research and Development, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500007, India

    Venugopal Reddy Kandukuri

Authors
  1. Siva Prasad Bitragunta
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  2. Sankar Ganesh Palani
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  3. Anil Gopala
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  4. Santosh Kumar Sarkar
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  5. Venugopal Reddy Kandukuri
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Correspondence to Sankar Ganesh Palani.

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Bitragunta, S.P., Palani, S.G., Gopala, A. et al. Detection of TiO2 Nanoparticles in Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant and Their Characterization Using Single Particle ICP-MS. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 98, 595–600 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2031-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2031-8

Keywords

  • Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles
  • Sewage
  • Sludge
  • Single-particle-ICP-MS