title: Effects of silver nanoparticles in diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana and cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) of different sizes toward two primary producer aquatic species. Thalassiosira pseudonana and Synechococcus sp. have been selected as representative models for the lower trophic organisms in marine and freshwater habitats, respectively. Time-dependent cellular growth was measured upon exposure to both AgNP and silver nitrate (AgNO(3)). In addition, AgNP behavior in freshwater and marine waters has been followed by CPS disc centrifuge, in the time frame of AgNP exposure studies, and the kinetic release of silver from AgNP of different sizes was measured by dialysis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The combination and interpretation of all these data suggest that a shared effect of AgNP and released silver was responsible for the toxicity in both organisms. Furthermore, the toxic effects induced by AgNP exposure in the present study seem to result from a mixture of parameters including aggregated state, size of the AgNP, stability of the preparation, and speciation of the released silver.
authors.affiliation: European Commission - Joint Research Centre, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, T.P. 270, Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra (VA), Italy.
authors.forename: Alina D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Burchardt
authors.forename: Raquel N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nativo
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gilliland
authors.forename: Cesar P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Garcìa
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Passarella
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pedroni
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lettieri
mesh_terms: D017377:Diatoms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012834:Silver / Q000633:toxicity*; D046940:Synechococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012834:Silver