The growing use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in industrial applications and commercial products has raised concerns over their environmental occurrence, behavior and fate. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are believed to play an important role in removal of ENPs. However, the complex matrices of WWTP samples provide significant analytical challenges to ENP characterization. Single-particle inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SpICPMS) is reported as a viable analytical method for characterization of ENPs, but adequate data quality criteria for sampling and instrumental methods are yet to be established. Here, an existing SpICPMS method was assessed and augmented to allow for effective determination and characterization of silver ENPs in wastewater matrices. Sample integrity was systematically assessed throughout analytical process and data correction strategies were incorporated into existing methods. Quantitation limits, accuracy and precision for method in WWTP sample matrices were determined. Finally, a brief survey of influent and effluent samples from three WWTPs was conducted using the augmented methods.

Single-particle analysis of silver engineered nanomaterials in wastewater treatment facilities

246th National Meeting (2013)

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