Shape change of biogenic elemental selenium nanomaterials decreases their colloidal stability

Selenium is an important element for technology and dietary supplements but it is toxic at slightly higher concentration. Thus, its removal from the wastewaters is important. Microbial reduction of selenium oxyanions in thermophilic bioreactor (55 oC) removed higher selenium when compared to the control mesophilic bioreactor (30 oC). This study demonstrated that the better performance of the thermophilic bioreactor was due to the better settling properties of biogenic elemental selenium nanorods (BioSe-Nanorods) produced in thermophilic conditions compared to biogenic elemental selenium nanospheres (BioSe-Nanospheres) produced in mesophilic conditions. The BioSe-Nanorods were less colloidally stable than the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) capped BioSe-Nanospheres as demonstrated by the former's lesser negative zeta potential values when exposed to elevated concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2 as well as better settling in different lake waters. The lower colloidal stability was due to a lesser negative surface charge density of BioSe-Nanorods compared to BioSe-Nanospheres. This study also argued that the EPS were the corona of BioSe-Nanorods as well. Further, this study observed that the formation of BioSe-Nanorods proceeds via BioSe-Nanospheres. This study demonstrates the importance of the shape of nanoparticles in determining their bioremediation effectiveness and the fate in the environment.