Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2008MA135B

Toxicity of carbon nanotubes to the activated sludge process: protective ability of extracellular polymeric substances

Institute: Massachusetts
Year Established: 2008 Start Date: 2008-04-01 End Date: 2009-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $13,492

Principal Investigators: Xiaoqi (Jackie) Zhang, Lauren Luongo

Project Summary: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered a novel material with growing commercial application due to their unique properties. Massachusetts is a leader in nanotechnology growth and production; in 2003 alone, nanotechnology companies in Massachusetts received over 100 million in venture capital investment. The discharge of CNTs from industrial waste or disposal of such materials from commercial and/or domestic use will inevitably occur with increasing production and enter into wastewater treatment facilities with unknown consequences. Therefore, a better knowledge of the toxicity of CNTs to biological processes in wastewater treatment will be critical. The proposed study will attempt to evaluate whether or not CNTs exhibit toxicity to the activated sludge process with sheared and unsheared activated sludge. The study will allow for the investigation into whether or not the bacteria in the activated sludge are protected significantly enough by the extracellular polymeric substances and whether or not there is toxicity in the form of respiration inhibition when exposed to CNTs.