Root uptake and phytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the scirpus validus

• Main Author: Tan, Bing Rong.
• Other Authors: Tan Soon Keat
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Environmental protection
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/52878
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPs) have been increasingly used in the production of commercial products. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) ENPs, in particular, have been found to be widely used in sunscreen. This results in an inevitable increase in the amount of ENPs found in domestic and industrial wastewaters. Conventional wastewater treatment processes have been found to be able to remove majority of the ENPs during the treatment process. The ENPs are removed from the wastewater along with the sludge produced through the conventional wastewater treatment processes. The small quantities of ENPs that escape the treatment process are potentially able to be transported into the environmental waters through many possible transport pathways. Therefore, it is highly possible for ENPs to be released into the environment, and possibly affect human health. The objective of this experiment is to provide more knowledge on the feasibility of using constructed wetlands as a tertiary treatment to remove ZnO ENPs from the effluents of wastewater treatment plants. Scirpus Validus, a wetland plant, will be tested for its ability and capacity to uptake ZnO ENPs, as well as the phytotoxicity of the ZnO ENPs on the plants. The results of the experiment indicates the ability of the S. Validus to significantly uptake ENPs in the roots, and highlights the poor translocation of the ENPs from roots to shoots of the S. Validus. This report provides first evidence of S. Validus uptake of ENPs, as well as a review on the plant’s uptake and translocation capabilities. The experimental results shall also provide the groundwork for discussions on future research and the knowledge required for the design of future experiments.