Lead poisoning has become a pervasive problem worldwide mainly due to the anthropogenic exploitation of the environment. Several studies have reported that even small concentrations of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and children younger than 6 years old. Additionally, early childhood lead exposure may contribute to persistent effects over a longer period, such as diminished cognitive abilities and behavioral problems. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) offer a promising platform technology for lead sensing and biomedical treatment due to their biocompatibility and tunable properties. By modifying their surface ligand, these nanoparticles can be designed to be more selective towards chelation with lead. Magnetic particle spectrometry (MPS), which is an emerging method for the rapid and sensitive detection of changes in the micro-environment of SPIONs, provides a unique approach to study the lead chelation efficiency of surface modified SPIONs. In this study, the chelation properties of different surface functionalized SPIONs will be investigated using MPS, which directly measures the changes in the magnetic relaxation of SPIONs in an oscillating magnetic field environment. Since the MPS signal is influenced by inter-particle magnetic dipolar interactions, effective chelation of lead will trigger selective particle aggregation that will proportionately change the MPS signal. In using MPS, the chelation properties of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), <i>meso</i>-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), and glutathione functionalized SPIONs will be compared to explore their sensitivity and selectivity towards lead chelation.

Magnetic particle spectrometry approach for studying lead chelating agents

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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