There are limited data on the concentration and size of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in effluents and biosolids discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Such data are however critical for assessing environmental risks of ENPs. The goal of this study is to develop methods to detect the size and concentration of metal ENPs in WW effluents and biosolids using single particle mode inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS). TiO2 and Al based NPs with sizes of approximately 40 to several hundreds of nm were detected in three WWTP effluents. ENPs were detected in aqueous extracts of biosolids with SP-ICP-MS with a mean size of approximately 46, 114, and 81 nm for Cu, Ti and Zn, respectively, at concentrations in the range of 104 to 106 ENPs/mL; corresponding to 0.1 to 0.3 % of total metal in biosolids. Methods for quantification of ENP concentrations in settled biosolids using SP-ICP-MS will be presented.

Detection and quantification of engineered metal nanoparticles in municipal wastewaters and biosolids

250th National Meeting (2015)

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