UWSpace is currently experiencing technical difficulties resulting from its recent migration to a new version of its software. These technical issues are not affecting the submission and browse features of the site. UWaterloo community members may continue submitting items to UWSpace. We apologize for the inconvenience, and are actively working to resolve these technical issues.
 

The effects of multi-walled carbon nanotube exposure on soil organisms

Thumbnail Image

Files

Martin_William.pdf (42.06 MB)

Date

2013-01-25T18:32:32Z

Authors

Martin, William J.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Waterloo

Abstract

With the rapid proliferation of carbon nanotube technologies and consumer products comes a need to research the toxicological and ecotoxicological effects of these materials. This research attempted to develop a baseline knowledge of the effects of bulk, unmodified multi-walled carbon nanotubes on commonly studied soil toxicology test organisms: earthworms, springtails, and agricultural plants. In order to minimize confounding factors in the study, a slurry composed of bulk multi-walled carbon nanotubes, silica sand, and water was used to amend test soil without the use of surfactants or functionalization. Analysis of data produced by these experiments showed no significant trends resulting from the exposure of the test organisms to artificial soil amended by the multi- walled carbon nanotube slurry. It was observed, however that carbon nanotubes accumulated in the gut of the earthworm Eisenia andrei and were expelled as castings in the test soil.

Description

Keywords

carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, soil toxicology, earthworms, springtails, seedling emergence

LC Keywords

Citation

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10012/7298

Collections

Theses
Biology