Exposure of Few Layer Graphene to Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri: Uptake, Proteins Secretion and Their Effects on the Graphene

Published

January 6, 2017

Author(s)

Liang Mao, Chuanlin Liu, Kun Lu, Cheng Gu, Elijah Petersen

Abstract

While graphene has substantial commercial potential, numerous aspects regarding its potential ecological effects such as its potential for bioaccumulation are not well known. 14C-labeled few layer graphene (FLG) was spiked to artificial freshwater and the uptake of FLG by Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, an oligochaete, was assessed. After exposure for 36 h to a 1 mg/L solution of FLG, the FLG concentration in the organism was nearly 60 ng/mg of the organism dry mass. Multiple characterization results confirmed that the proteins secreted by the organisms during the exposure period coated the FLG increasing its stability in solution. Uptake behaviors of Eisenia foetida and Daphnia magna exposed to FLG and protein-coated FLG at concentrations of approximately 1 and 10 mg/kg or 100 μg/L were quantified. Protein-coated FLG demonstrated different bioaccumulation behaviors for both organisms increasing the FLG body burden in earthworms but lowering it in D. magna. The data provide the first evidence that proteins are secreted by Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri after exposure to FLG and can coat FLG increasing the FLG aqueous stability and also change its bioaccumulation potential.

Citation

Environmental Science and Technology

Pub Type

Journals

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Citation

Mao, L. , Liu, C. , Lu, K. , Gu, C. and Petersen, E. (2017), Exposure of Few Layer Graphene to Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri: Uptake, Proteins Secretion and Their Effects on the Graphene, Environmental Science and Technology, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=919136 (Accessed October 17, 2025)