RETRACTED: Influence of humic acid on the stability and bacterial toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles in water

• Published in: Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology Biology, 2015-12, Vol.153, p.289-295
• Main Authors: Akhil, K., Chandran, Preethy, Sudheer Khan, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1011-1344; 1873-2682
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.10.007

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor of Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology: Biology (JPB), because of the following reasons: It contains results which were previously published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 102 (2013) 195 – 201, DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2012.07.034, namely:•Fig. 1a (JPB) is the same as Fig. 1a (COLSUB): both the UV-visible spectra are found to be identical but in the latter paper commercial ZnO nanopowder was used and not laboratory synthesized ZnO, so these results are not in line with the expectations.•Fig. 2 (JPB) is the same as Fig. 2 (COLSUB): both these figures are identical in the concentration range 0-40 mg/L and the authors seem to have removed the data of two traces in the case of the JPB paper.•Fig 3a (JPB) is the same as Fig 3 (COLSUB): the surface properties of HA and BSA proteins are different and hence the zeta potential values are expected to have different values.  However, the authors report similar zeta potential plots with negligible difference for both HA and BSA. It contains results which are very similar to results previously published paper J. Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology 138 (2014), 155-159, DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.05.013, namely:•Fig. 1d is the same in both papers.  The d-spacing values for both figures are also the same. The explanation given by the authors is not correct.•Section 2.5 as published in JPB 138 (2014), 155-159 is very similar to Section 2.11 in the retracted paper without giving appropriate reference. Fig. 1e is the same as Fig. 1f as previously published in J. Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology 141 (2014), 235–240, DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2014.09.010. However, the previously published paper deals with Ag2S nanoparticles while the retracted paper deals with ZnO nanoparticles.  EDX peaks are characteristic of various nanoparticles. The authors have reported the EDX peak of ZnO nanoparticles at 3 KeV which is contrary to the expectations.