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Volume 13
Issue 9
10.3390/toxics13090719
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Inhibitory Effects of Aquadag, a Black Carbon Surrogate, on Microbial Growth via Surface-Mediated Stress: Evidence from Adenosine Triphosphate Assay

by
Hwangyu Yoo
1,†,‡,
Saehee Lim
1,2,*,‡,
I Seul Cho
2,
Haneul Im
2,
Euna Lee
2,
Siyoung Choi
2,
Han-Suk Kim
3,4,
Sohee Jeong
2 and
Younggyun Choi
1,2
1
Department of Environmental Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Environmental IT Convergence Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
4
R&D Center, Dong-Myung Enterprise, Seoul 06725, Republic of Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Current Address: Industry Coordination Department, Korea Meteorological Institute., Seoul 03735, Republic of Korea
‡
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Toxics 2025, 13(9), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090719 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 14 July 2025 / Revised: 20 August 2025 / Accepted: 25 August 2025 / Published: 27 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unraveling the Health Impacts of Air Pollution: Assessments and Mechanisms)
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Abstract

Black carbon (BC) from incomplete combustion sources including traffic emissions affects human health due to its physical characteristics and ubiquity in urban environments. We examined the effects of BC on microbial growth in the presence of particulate matter (PM), using Aquadag as a surrogate for BC. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis showed BC had a specific surface area of 123.2 m2 g−1, with over 90% of particles smaller than 100 nm, indicating strong surface interaction potential. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 was cultured for 7 days with various BC concentrations and fixed PM. Increasing BC (0–100 ng mL−1) significantly inhibited growth, evidenced by a decline in cellular adenosine triphosphate (cATP) with a slope of −1.296 ± 0.258 cATP ng mL−1/BC ng mL−1. The seven-day mean cATP slope ranged from 77 to 131, with control at 161. The biomass stress index (BSI) increased by 56%, rising from 28.6 ± 8.8% (control) to 44.6 ± 16.1% under high BC. The BSI change was minimal on day 1 (<+0.1% per BC ng mL−1) but greater on days 5 (+0.125 ± 0.052%) and 7 (+0.130 ± 0.075%). BC does not cause immediate microbial death, but prolonged exposure induces cumulative stress, damages synthetic enzymes, inhibits growth, and may lead to cell death, with potential public health implications.
Keywords: particulate matter; black carbon; microbial growth; adenosine triphosphate (ATP); human health particulate matter; black carbon; microbial growth; adenosine triphosphate (ATP); human health
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MDPI and ACS Style

Yoo, H.; Lim, S.; Cho, I.S.; Im, H.; Lee, E.; Choi, S.; Kim, H.-S.; Jeong, S.; Choi, Y. Inhibitory Effects of Aquadag, a Black Carbon Surrogate, on Microbial Growth via Surface-Mediated Stress: Evidence from Adenosine Triphosphate Assay. Toxics 2025, 13, 719. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090719

AMA Style

Yoo H, Lim S, Cho IS, Im H, Lee E, Choi S, Kim H-S, Jeong S, Choi Y. Inhibitory Effects of Aquadag, a Black Carbon Surrogate, on Microbial Growth via Surface-Mediated Stress: Evidence from Adenosine Triphosphate Assay. Toxics. 2025; 13(9):719. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090719

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yoo, Hwangyu, Saehee Lim, I Seul Cho, Haneul Im, Euna Lee, Siyoung Choi, Han-Suk Kim, Sohee Jeong, and Younggyun Choi. 2025. "Inhibitory Effects of Aquadag, a Black Carbon Surrogate, on Microbial Growth via Surface-Mediated Stress: Evidence from Adenosine Triphosphate Assay" Toxics 13, no. 9: 719. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090719

APA Style

Yoo, H., Lim, S., Cho, I. S., Im, H., Lee, E., Choi, S., Kim, H.-S., Jeong, S., & Choi, Y. (2025). Inhibitory Effects of Aquadag, a Black Carbon Surrogate, on Microbial Growth via Surface-Mediated Stress: Evidence from Adenosine Triphosphate Assay. Toxics, 13(9), 719. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090719

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