Soil microbial response to photo-degraded C60 fullerenes. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berry, Timothy D.; Clavijo, Andrea P.; Zhao, Yingcan; Jafvert, Chad T.; Turco, Ronald F.; Filley, Timothy R.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 211(2016)
• Page Start: 338
• Page End: 345
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Carbon nanomaterials -- Soil -- Fullerenes -- Microbial degradation -- Emerging pollutants -- Photo decay; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.12.025
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Recent studies indicate that while unfunctionalized carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) exhibit very low decomposition rates in soils, even minor surface functionalization (e.g., as a result of photochemical weathering) may accelerate microbial decay. We present results from a C60 fullerene-soil incubation study designed to investigate the potential links between photochemical and microbial degradation of photo-irradiated C60 . Irradiating aqueous 13 C-labeled C60 with solar-wavelength light resulted in a complex mixture of intermediate products with decreased aromaticity. Although addition of irradiated C60 to soil microcosms had little effect on net soil respiration, excess 13 C in the respired CO2 demonstrates that photo-irradiating C60 enhanced its degradation in soil, with ∼0.78% of 60 day photo-irradiated C60 mineralized. Community analysis by DGGE found that soil microbial community structure was altered and depended on the photo-treatment duration. These findings demonstrate how abiotic and biotic transformation processes can couple to influence degradation of CNMs in the natural environment. Highlights: 13 C enriched C60 fullerene was photo-irradiated for 0, 10, 30, or 60 days before being added to soil microcosms. Approximately 0.78% of the 60 day irradiated C60 was degraded in soils during incubation. C60 altered microbial community differently depending on photo-irradiation duration. Abstract : Prolonged photo-oxidation of 13 C enriched labeled C60 fullerene was found to enhance mineralization of the nanomaterials during a 90 day incubation in soil.