title: Toxicity assessment of silver nanoparticles in Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) and starry sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) during early life stages.
abstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in consumer products mainly due to their antimicrobial action. The rapidly increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs) has driven more attention to their possible ecotoxicological effects. In this study, the acute toxicity of colloidal AgNPs was evaluated during the embryonic stage of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) and starry sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mg/L. Fertilized eggs (75 eggs per replicate) were exposed to aforementioned concentrations for 96 h in triplicate. 96-h LC50 values in Persian sturgeon and starry sturgeon were calculated as 0.163 and 0.158 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, in starry sturgeon, the short-term effects of AgNPs on the hatching rate, survival rate, and Ag accumulation during early life stages (before active feeding commences) were also analyzed at concentrations of 0, 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/L of colloidal AgNPs. The highest silver accumulation occurred in larvae exposed to 0.1 mg/L AgNPs; however, the body burden of silver did not alter survival rate, and there were no significant differences among treatments. Based on the obtained results from the acute toxicity exposures, AgNPs induced a concentration-dependent toxicity in both species during early life stages, while complementary studies are suggested for investigating their short-term effects in detail.
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Department, School of Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46424-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. abanan@live.com.
authors.forename: Ashkan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banan
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Department, School of Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46424-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. kalbassi_m@modares.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kalbassi Masjed Shahi
authors.affiliation: International Sturgeon Research Institute, P.O. Box 41635-3464, Rasht, Gilan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahmani
authors.affiliation: International Sturgeon Research Institute, P.O. Box 41635-3464, Rasht, Gilan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yazdani Sadati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005399:Fishes; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012834:Silver / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012834:Silver
keywords: Acute exposure; Colloidal silver nanoparticles; Nanoecotoxicology; Short-term exposure; Silver accumulation; Sturgeons