Heba Nageh Gad EL-Hak

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Effect of Nanoparticle treatment on
trihalomethane toxicity induced on experimental
animals

• Presented by
• Heba Nageh Gad EL-Hak
• Assistant Lecturer- Zoology Department Faculty of
  Science

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What are the trihalomethane?

• Trihalomethanes (THMs) are chemical compounds in
  which three of the four hydrogen atoms of methane
  (CH4) are replaced by halogen atoms.
• Many trihalomethanes uses in industry as solvents
  or refrigerants. THMs are also environmental
  pollutants, and many are considered carcinogenic.

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How it is formed?

• Trihalomethanes are formed from the reaction of
  chlorine or bromine which is used to disinfect
  water for drinking with organic matter present in
  the water being treated.

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• formed in swimming pools which are disinfected
  with chlorine or hypochlorite in the haloform
  reaction with organic substances (e.g. urine,
  sweat, hair and skin particles). Some of the THMs
  are quite volatile and may easily vaporize into
  the air. This makes it possible to inhale THMs
  while showering, for example. The EPA, however,
  has determined that this exposure is minimal
  compared to that from consumption.
• In swimmers, uptake of THMs is greatest via the
  skin with dermal absorption accounting for 80 of
  THM uptake. Exercising in a chlorinated pool
  increases the toxicity of a "safe" chlorinated
  pool atmospherewith toxic effects of chlorine
  byproducts.

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What are Nanoparticles?

• A nanoparticle is a small object that behaves as
  a whole unit in terms of its transport and
  properties.
• Nanotechnology is an emerging and fast-growing
  technology. Currently, there are thousand of
  nanotechnology-based products on the market.
• There are several chemical methods to synthesize
  nanoparticles of gold, silver, and iron oxide, as
  co-precipitation or thermal decomposition. But
  physical methods either are not widely known or
  publicized. There is the laser ablation in a
  liquid medium, which can obtain any type of
  nanoparticles, but lasers for this technique are
  expensive.

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• In the area of water purification, nanotechnology
  offers the possibility of an efficient removal of
  pollutants and germs.
• Today nanoparticles, nanomembrane and nanopowder
  used for detection and removal of chemical and
  biological substances include metals (e.g.
  Cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc),
  nutrients (e.g. Phosphate, ammonia, nitrate and
  nitrite), cyanide, organics, algae (e.g.
  cyanobacterial toxins) viruses, bacteria,
  parasites and antibiotics.
• Basically four classes of nanoscale materials
  that are being evaluated as functional materials
  for water purification e.g. metal-containing
  nanoparticles, carbonaceous nanomaterials,
  zeolites and dendrimers. Carbon nanotubes and
  nanofibers also show some positive result.

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• Nanomaterials reveal good result than other
  techniques used in water treatment because of its
  high surface area (surface/volume ratio). It is
  suggested that these may be used in future at
  large scale water purification.

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• Nanoparticle Applications in Medicine
• The surface change of protein filled
  nanoparticles has been shown to affect the
  ability of the nanoparticle to stimulate immune
  responses.
• Researchers at Rice University have demonstrated
  that cerium oxide nanoparticles act as an
  antioxidant to remove oxygen free radicals that
  are present in a patient's bloodstream following
  a traumatic injury. The nanoparticles absorb the
  oxygen free radicals and then release the oxygen
  in a less dangerous state, freeing up the
  nanoparticle to absorb more free radicals.

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• The present study is carried out to investigate
  the possible protective role of nanoparticle in
  decrease the toxicity induced by the
  trihalomethane on experimental animal.