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Interactions between Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) and Ciliates: SWNT Interfere with Ciliate Ecological Functions and Ciliates Transport/Transform SWNT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Tiffany S. Y. Chan ,
Fatima Nasser ,
Christine H. St-Denis ,
Niels C. Bols  and
Shirley Tang
Tiffany S. Y. Chan
Affiliation:
tsychan@gmail.com, University of Waterloo, chemistry, waterloo, Canada
Fatima Nasser
Affiliation:
fnasser@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca, University of Waterloo, chemistry, waterloo, Canada
Christine H. St-Denis
Affiliation:
chstdeni@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca, university of Waterloo, biology, waterloo, Canada
Niels C. Bols
Affiliation:
ncbols@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca, university of Waterloo, biology, waterloo, Canada
Shirley Tang
Affiliation:
tangxw@uwaterloo.ca, university of Waterloo, chemistry, waterloo, Canada
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Abstract

We investigated the interactions of water soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) with unicellular organisms, in particular a ciliated protozoan (Tetrahymena thermophila) and a bacteria (Escherichia coli), which are common constituents of natural fresh water. The ciliates could effectively incorporate SWNT into natural organic matter (NOM), and therefore into normal ecological processes. Further, SWNT induced the ciliates to egest viable bacteria in membrane-enclosed vesicles. The egested bacteria aggregates had escaped digestion by the protozoan and were able to proliferate and resist antibiotic/disinfectant treatments, which may have important implications to public health. This work highlights the importance of studies on nanoparticle ecotoxicology.

Keywords

nanostructurewaterenvironmentally protective
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1204: Symposium K – Nanotubes and Related Nanostructures-2009 , 2009 , 1204-K16-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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