title: Reducing Environmental Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles through Shape Control.
abstract: The use of antibacterial silver nanomaterials in consumer products ranging from textiles to toys has given rise to concerns over their environmental toxicity. These materials, primarily nanoparticles, have been shown to be toxic to a wide range of organisms; thus methods and materials that reduce their environmental toxicity while retaining their useful antibacterial properties can potentially solve this problem. Here we demonstrate that silver nanocubes display a lower toxicity toward the model plant species Lolium multiflorum while showing similar toxicity toward other environmentally relevant and model organisms (Danio rerio and Caenorhabditis elegans) and bacterial species (Esherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) compared to quasi-spherical silver nanoparticles and silver nanowires. More specifically, in the L. multiflorum experiments, the roots of silver nanocube treated plants were 5.3% shorter than the control, while silver nanoparticle treated plant roots were 39.6% shorter than the control. The findings here could assist in the future development of new antibacterial products that cause less environmental toxicity after their intended use.
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|‡Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Danielle E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gorka
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|§Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Joshua S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Osterberg
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|∥Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Carley A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gwin
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|⊥Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Colman
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|§Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Joel N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|⊥Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|∥Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Claudia K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Gunsch
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|§Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: DiGulio
authors.affiliation: †Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT), Duke University, P.O Box 90287, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.|‡Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008129:Lolium / Q000187:drug effects; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010316:Particle Size; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012834:Silver / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012834:Silver