Characterization of AgNPs and AuNPs in sewage sludge by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

This study develops for the first time an analytical method for the characterization of silver and gold nanoparticles in sewage sludge. The evaluation of the effect of temperature, extracting agent and centrifugation speed and time on the extraction yield was carried out through a multifactorial analysis of variance which allows us to select 289 g, 5 min and 20 mM sodium pyrophosphate tetrabasic as optimal extraction conditions. Under these conditions, the analysis of the extract by single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry provided recovery percentages of 70 ± 2% and 56 ± 1% for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, the complementary results obtained upon analysis of these extracts by transmission electron microscopy and single particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry showed that the developed method did not modify the original size and shape of these nanoparticles during the extraction procedure. Size detection limits of 23 nm and 16 nm as well as number concentration limits of 3.12 × 109 particles kg−1 and 1.38 × 109 particles kg−1 were obtained for silver and gold nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, a stability study of silver and gold nanoparticles in sewage sludge for 12 months showed differences between the two nanoparticle types. Although the sizes were not affected during the 12 months, silver nanoparticles underwent an oxidation process from 6 months onwards, which was reflected in an increase in the percentage of ionic silver from 14 ± 1% at 6 months to 24 ± 2% at 12 months. The developed methodology represents a simple, reliable and fast tool for detecting, quantifying and assessing the stability of nanoparticles in an important environmental sample such as sewage sludge. [Display omitted] •A method to extract AgNPs and AuNPs from sewage sludge was developed.•ANOVA assessed interactions between extraction parameter and stability.•Size and concentration of AgNPs and AuNPs in sludge was determined by spICP-MS.•AgNPs were less stable than AuNPs in the sewage sludge after 12 months.