Pauline Waalewijn-Kool
- Telefoon:+31 20 59 87217
- Kamernr:h-119
- E-mail:p.l.kool@vu.nl
- Onderdeel:faculteit der aard- en levenswetenschappen (subafdeling dierecologie)
- Functie:Ph.D. Student
Research interests
My main interest is to understand the behavior of metal nanoparticles in soil and to discover the mechanisms of toxicity for springtails living in there.
As nanotechnology industry evolves and the consumer world is exploding with “nanotechnology enhanced” products, environmental exposures are an inevitable consequence. Ecotoxicological data are needed to establish sound risk assessment for this new class of substances.
Selected Publications
Kool, Pauline L., Maria Diez Ortiz, Cornelis A.M. van Gestel (2011) Chronic toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl2 to Folsomia candida (Collembola) in relation to bioavailability in soil. Environmental Pollution, 159: 2713-2719.
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel, Kool, Pauline L., Maria Diez Ortiz (2010) Metal-based nanoparticles in soil: New research themes should not ignore old rules and theories. Comments on the paper by Hu et al. (2010) ‘Toxicological effects of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles in soil on earthworm Eisenia fetida.’ Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42, 586–591. Soil Biology & Biochemistry42: 1892-1893.
Research project
NanoFATE: Ecotoxicity of metal nanoparticles to Folsomia candida in relation to bioavailability in soil
NanoFATE (full title: Nanoparticle Fate Assessment and Toxicity in the Environment) is an EU-funded integrated research project that aims to fill knowledge and methodological gaps of environmental risks posed by engineered nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles are generally defined as particles with at least one dimension that is less than 100 nm. Due to their small size, nanoparticles exhibit relative surface areas that are greater than the corresponding conventional forms. The ecotoxicology of selected engineered nanoparticles (ZnO, Ag and CeO) will be determined for Folsomia candida. Modifications of the existing protocol for reproduction toxicity assessment in soil (ISO 11267) are required for testing nanoparticles. The introduction of nanoparticles into the test system will especially be challenging because agglomeration and aggregation are common problems when preparing dispersions from dry powders. Bioavailability issues, such as the role of nanoparticle dissolution, ageing and the role of soil chemistry will be studied. Furthermore, it is proposed to determine the uptake and elimination kinetics of Ag nanoparticles (both of the particles and the released metal ions) in Folsomia candida. The work aims to better understand and predict the toxic effects of metal nanoparticles used in relation to their physicochemical behaviour within soil environments.
Duration:
4 years (April 2010 - April 2014)
Participants:
Pauline Kool, Maria Diez Ortiz, Kees van Gestel, Nico van Straalen
