Degradation and Microbial Uptake of C60 Fullerols in Contrasting Agricultural Soils

Environ Sci Technol. 2017 Feb 7;51(3):1387-1394. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04637. Epub 2017 Jan 23.

Abstract

The environmental fate of functionalized carbon nanomaterials (CNM) remains poorly understood. Using 13C-labeled nanomaterial we present the results of a study investigating the mineralization and microbial uptake of surface-functionalized C60 (fullerols) in agricultural soils with contrasting properties. Soil microcosms rapidly mineralized fullerol C, as determined by 13C-content in the respired CO2, with higher fullerol mineralization in an organic, clay-rich soil versus a silty, low C soil (∼56.3% vs ∼30.9% fullerol C mineralized over 65 days). By tracking the enriched 13C from fullerol into microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) we also report, for the first time, the incorporation of nanomaterial-derived C into soil microbial biomass, primarily by fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. While more fullerol C was incorporated into PLFA in the organic C-rich soil (0.77% vs 0.19% of PLFA C), this soil incorporated fullerol C into biomass less efficiently than the silty, low C soil (0.13% and 0.84% of assimilated fullerol C, respectively). These results demonstrate that, in contrast to pristine C60, surface functionalized C60 are unlikely to accumulate in surface soils and are readily mineralized by a range of soil microorganisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture*
  • Bacteria / metabolism
  • Carbon / metabolism
  • Soil Microbiology
  • Soil Pollutants / metabolism
  • Soil*

Substances

  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Carbon