title: A new medium for Caenorhabditis elegans toxicology and nanotoxicology studies designed to better reflect natural soil solution conditions.
abstract: A new toxicity test medium for Caenorhabditis elegans is presented. The test solution is designed to provide a better representation of natural soil pore water conditions than currently available test media. The medium has a composition that can readily be modified to allow for studies of the influences of a range of environmentally relevant parameters on nematode biology and toxicology. Tests conducted in the new medium confirmed that nematodes' reproduction was possible at a range of solution pH levels, offering the potential to conduct toxicity studies under a variety of conditions. A test to establish silver nanoparticle and dissolved silver nitrate toxicity, a study type not feasible in M9 or agar media due to precipitation and nanoparticle agglomeration, indicated lower silver nanoparticle (median effective concentration [EC50] of 6.5 mg Ag/L) than silver nitrate (EC50 0.28 mg Ag/L) toxicity. Characterization identified stable nanoparticle behavior in the new test medium.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tyne
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lofts
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Spurgeon
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jurkschat
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Svendsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012098:Reproduction; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D012996:Solutions / Q000633:toxicity; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; D012834:Silver
keywords: Fulvic acid; Ionic strength; Nanoparticle; Silver; Toxicity test; pH