Titanium dioxide nanoparticles effects on arsenic accumulation and transformation by freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

摘要

Increased use of engineered nanoparticles raises concerns about their environmental impacts, but the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) on environmental processes of other vital co-contaminants remain largely unknown. In this study, Microcystis aeruginosa was exposed to inorganic arsenic (arsenate and arsenite), to study changes in As accumulation and As speciation in the presence of nano-TiO2. Results showed that nano-TiO2 improve arsenate accumulation but decrease arsenite accumulation. Also, nano-TiO2 promote arsenic methylation in algae under both arsenate and arsenite treatments.