Increasing application of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in industry and consumer products will inevitably lead to the release of them to water environment. To characterize the nanomaterials efficiently in water, a fast and simple method is needed to enrich nanomaterials from water without altering their shape and size. Cloud-point extraction (CPE) by Triton 114 demonstrated the ability to enrich various types of nanoparticles including nano titanium dioxide, gold, silver, silicon dioxide, while separate nano particles from metal ions. A series of CPEs were conducted to extract nanomaterials from diversity sources of water, including Salt River, Verde River, influent and effluent from a local water and wastewater treatment plant, and Saguaro Lake. Transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was applied to characterize the nanoparticles enriched in organic phase. The most abundant nanoparticles identified so far were silica and titanium containing particles with diameter in the range 4-99 nm. Other nanoparticles ranged from 30-65 nm contained a list of major elements, including calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, oxygen, sulfur, carbon, and chloride. This research provides fundamental information for assessing the implication of ENMs in water environment.

Prospecting nanomaterials in water environment by cloud-point extraction coupled with transmission electron microscopy

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.