Oxidation process of lead sulfide nanoparticle in the atmosphere or natural water and influence on toxicity toward Chlorella vulgaris

Yu Kong; Hongyu Sun; Siyu Zhang; Bing Zhao; Qing Zhao; Xuejiao Zhang; Haibo Li

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126016

Oxidation process of lead sulfide nanoparticle in the atmosphere or natural water and influence on toxicity toward Chlorella vulgaris

J Hazard Mater. 2021 Sep 5:417:126016. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126016. Epub 2021 May 8.

Authors

Yu Kong¹, Hongyu Sun², Siyu Zhang³, Bing Zhao⁴, Qing Zhao⁴, Xuejiao Zhang⁴, Haibo Li⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
² Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Ecotoxicology and Environmental Remediation Laboratory Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, P.R. China 31 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300191, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China. Electronic address: syzhang@iae.ac.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
⁵ School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China. Electronic address: lihaibo@mail.neu.edu.cn.

PMID: 33992015
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126016

Abstract

Lead sulfide nanoparticle (nano-PbS) released into environment can cause hazards to human or ecosystem. Nano-PbS potentially undergoes oxidation in the environment, but oxidation mechanism is not understood yet. Herein, oxidation kinetics and products of nano-PbS by ozone (O₃), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydroxyl radical (HO·) in the atmosphere or natural water were investigated. Results show that oxidation process of nano-PbS can be divided into three stages, producing sulfate, ions and oxides of lead in sequence. O₃ or HO·leads to faster release of ionic lead from nano-PbS in the initial stage than H₂O₂, but causes significant decrease of ionic lead by transforming divalent lead to tetravalent lead oxides in the second or third stage. Toxicity determined taking Chlorella Vulgaris as an example follows an order of PbO₂ < Pb₃O₄ < nano-PbS < PbO < PbSO₄. Toxicity of lead particles is mainly determined by sizes influencing cellular uptake and solubility product constant (K_sp) related with dissolution of lead in cells. The results indicate that the toxicity of nano-PbS increases in an initial oxidation stage and decreases in further oxidation stages. This study provides new insights into environmental behavior of nano-PbS and mechanism understandings for assessing ecological risks of nano-PbS.

Keywords: Atmospheric oxidation; Biotoxicity; Lead oxides; Nano-lead sulfide; Photooxidation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Atmosphere
Chlorella vulgaris*
Ecosystem
Humans
Hydrogen Peroxide / toxicity
Lead / toxicity
Nanoparticles* / toxicity
Oxidation-Reduction
Sulfides / toxicity
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Sulfides
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water
Lead
Hydrogen Peroxide