Several types of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are being considered for direct application to soils to reduce the application and degradation of pesticides, provide micronutrients, control pathogens, and increase crop yields. This study examined the effects of different metal ENPs and their dissolved ions on the microbial community composition and enzyme activity of agricultural soil amended with biosolids. The activity of five extracellular nutrient-cycling enzymes was measured in biosolid-amended soils treated with different concentrations (1, 10, or 100 mg ENP/kg soil) of silver (nAg), zinc oxide (nZnO), copper oxide (nCuO), or titanium dioxide (nTiO) nanoparticles and their ions over a 30-day period. At 30 days, nZnO and nCuO either had no significant effect on soil enzyme activity or enhanced enzyme activity. In contrast, Ag inhibited selected enzymes when dosed in particulate or dissolved form (at 100 mg/kg). nTiO either had no significant effect or slightly decreased enzyme activity. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of microbial communities indicated a shift in soil microbial community composition upon exposure to high doses of metal ions or nAg and negligible shift in the presence of nTiO. Some taxa responded differently to nAg and Ag. This work shows how metal ENPs can impact soil enzyme activity and microbial community composition upon introduction into soils amended with biosolids, depending on their type, concentration, and dissolution behavior, hence providing much needed information for the sustainable application of nanotechnology in agriculture.

The risk of groundwater contamination by microbial pathogens is linked to their survival in the subsurface. Although there is a large body of literature on the inactivation behavior of suspended (planktonic) microorganisms, little is known about the inactivation of bacteria when attached to sand grain surfaces in groundwater aquifers. The main goal of this study was to develop a fluorescence-based experimental technique for evaluating the extent of inactivation over time of bacteria adhered onto a surface in an aqueous environment. Key features of the developed technique are as follows: (i) attached cells do not need to be removed from the surface of interest for quantification, (ii) bacterial inactivation can be examined in real-time for prolonged time periods, and (iii) the system remains undisturbed (i.e., the aqueous environment is unchanged) during the assay. A negatively or positively charged substrate (i.e., bare or coated glass slide) was mounted in a parallel-plate flow cell, bacteria were allowed to attach onto the substrate, and the loss of bacterial membrane integrity and respiratory activity were investigated as a function of time by fluorescence microscopy using Live/Dead BacLight and BacLight RedoxSensor CTC (5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride) viability assays. These two different measures of bacterial inactivation result in comparable trends in bacterial inactivation, confirming the validity of the experimental technique. The results of this work show that the developed technique is sensitive enough to distinguish between the inactivation kinetics of different representative bacteria attached to either a negatively charged (bare glass) surface or a positively charged (coated glass) surface. Hence, the technique can be used to characterize bacterial inactivation kinetics when attached to environmentally relevant surfaces over a broad range of groundwater chemistries.

Electrochemical disinfection has been shown to be an efficient method with a shortrequired contact time for treatment of drinking water supplies, industrial raw water supplies, liquid foodstuffs, and wastewater effluents. In the present work, the electrochemical disinfection of saline water contaminated with bacteria was investigated in chloride-containing solutions using Sb-doped Sn-W-oxide anodes. The influence of current density, bacterial load, initial chloride concentration, solution pH, and the type of bacteria (E. coli D21, E. coli O157:H7, and E. faecalis) on disinfection efficacy was systematically examined. The impact of natural organic matter and a radical scavenger on the disinfection process was also examined. The electrochemical system was highly effective in bacterial inactivation for a 0.1 M NaCl solution contaminated with ∼10 CFU/mL bacteria by applying a current density ≥1 mA/cm through the cell.100% inactivation of E. coli D21 was achieved with a contact time of less than 60 s and power consumption of 48 Wh/m, by applying a current density of 6 mA/cm in a 0.1 M NaCl solution contaminated with ∼10 CFU/mL. Reactive chlorine species as well as reactive oxygen species (e.g. hydroxyl radicals) generated in situ during the electrochemical process were determined to be responsible for inactivation of bacteria.

The surfaces of thin film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes were modified by in situ formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the presence and absence of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets to impart biocidal properties to the membranes. The abundance of oxygen-containing functional groups in GO makes it suitable for anchoring Ag+ ions and governing the size, shape, and distribution of AgNPs. The presence of GO resulted in the formation of smaller and uniformly distributed AgNPs as well as increased silver loading, higher stability, and enhanced ion release control. Membranes modified by both GO and Ag exhibited improved (98%) bacterial inactivation when compared to that of only Ag-modified (80%) or GO-modified membranes (50%). After release of Ag ion from GO-Ag-modified membranes for 7 days, AgNP regeneration was conducted in a manner identical to the in situ Ag formation procedure. After regeneration, the membrane regained nearly all of its antibacterial properties and 75% of its initial silver loading.

Doxorubicin-loaded nanocarriers were produced employing folate-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG)functionalized gold nanoparticles for targeted delivery to positive folate-receptor cancer cells. Doxorubicin and folate were, respectively, conjugated to activated-folate and activated-PEG. The conjugates formed doxorubicin nanocarrier with an average size of 12 nm in diameter. The drug release response of functionalized gold nanoparticles was characterized by an initial rapid drug release followed by a controlled release. The doxorubicin nanocarriers showed higher cytotoxic effect on folate-receptor-positive cells (KB cells) than folatereceptor-negative cells (A549 cells). Cell viability in healthy cells (HFF cells) in drug-loaded nanoparticles was higher compared to free doxorubicin. These nanocarriers might offer a cancer therapy with high targeting efficiency and lower side effects.