Importance of sample pretreatment on the bacterial bioassay for toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract

(Eco)toxicological assessment of engineered nanoparticles has largely restricted to laboratoryconditions, and contribution to the environmental matrix mostly ignored. Thus, the lack of reflection of theenvironmental matrix makes it harder to evaluate the ecotoxicity of nanoparticles and its mechanism. Therefore,sample pretreatment has a vital role for appropriate (eco)toxicological assessment and reflection of theenvironmental matrix. The present study aims to investigate the effect of different sample pretreatment strategieson the (eco)toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles and its mechanism. For this purpose, three sample pretreatments andrelated bacterial bioassay procedure was examined. Moreover, the impact of the sample pretreatment on thetoxicity mechanism was investigated using the physicochemical parameters of ZnO nanoparticles andantioxidant responses of bacteria. The results showed that the sample pretreatment affected the physicochemicalproperties of ZnO nanoparticles, inhibition level and inhibition pathway.