title: Effects of silver nanoparticles (NM-300K) on Lumbricus rubellus earthworms and particle characterization in relevant test matrices including soil.
abstract: The impact of silver nanoparticles (AgNP; at 0 mg Ag/kg, 1.5 mg Ag/kg, 15.4 mg Ag/kg, and 154 mg Ag/kg soil) and silver nitrate (AgNO3 ; 15.4 mg Ag/kg soil) on earthworms, Lumbricus rubellus, was assessed. A 4-wk exposure to the highest AgNP treatment reduced growth and reproduction compared with the control. Silver nitrate (AgNO3 ) exposure also impaired reproduction, but not as much as the highest AgNP treatment. Long-term exposure to the highest AgNP treatment caused complete juvenile mortality. All AgNP treatments induced tissue pathology. Population modeling demonstrated reduced population growth rates for the AgNP and AgNO3 treatments, and no population growth at the highest AgNP treatment because of juvenile mortality. Analysis of AgNP treated soil samples revealed that single AgNP and AgNP clusters were present in the soil, and that the total Ag in soil porewater remained high throughout the long-term experiment. In addition, immune cells (coelomocytes) of earthworms showed sensitivity to both AgNP and AgNO3 in vitro. Overall, the present study indicates that AgNP exposure may affect earthworm populations and that the exposure may be prolonged because of the release of a dissolved Ag fraction to soil porewater.
authors: Alterra, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors: Merel J C
authors: MJ
authors: van der Ploeg
authors: Richard D
authors: RD
authors: Handy
authors: Pauline L
authors: PL
authors: Waalewijn-Kool
authors: Johannes H J
authors: JH
authors: van den Berg
authors: Zahira E
authors: ZE
authors: Herrera Rivera
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Bovenschen
authors: Bastiaan
authors: B
authors: Molleman
authors: Johannes M
authors: JM
authors: Baveco
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Tromp
authors: Ruud J B
authors: RJ
authors: Peters
authors: Gerwin F
authors: GF
authors: Koopmans
authors: Ivonne M C M
authors: IM
authors: Rietjens
authors: Nico W
authors: NW
authors: van den Brink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012835:Silver Nitrate / Q000633:toxicity*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D012834:Silver; D012835:Silver Nitrate
keywords: Coelomocytes; Exposure characterization; Histopathology; Population model; Soil organisms