Stability studies of commercial ZnO engineered nanoparticles in domestic wastewater

Most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) employ activated sludge processes to treat wastewater. The bacteria found in these systems degrade organic matter but are very sensitive to toxic compounds such as heavy metals, among others. The impact of emerging contaminants, such as engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) on the treatment efficiency of WWTPs is yet to be fully elucidated. The effects of physicochemical parameters; the pH and ionic strength on ZnO ENPs in domestic wastewater were investigated to establish their fate and behavior in wastewater treatment systems, as well as potential release into the environment if they pass untreated. Our findings showed a decrease in zinc concentration in the filtrate as pH and ionic strength increased which indicated its possible removal through the abiotic, biosorption, and biosolid settling mechanisms. This phenomenon was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images which showed agglomerates of ZnO ENPs in wastewater compared with de-ionized water. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis of ZnO ENPs suspension in the wastewater showed their stability over a period of 2 h, with energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis showing the presence of zinc on the sludge surface, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of ZnO ENPs in the sludge over typical wastewater pH ranges. The results of this study will inform the integrated water management on the impact of nanotechnology based industries and the best approach in handling wastewater treatment products.