title: Influence of silver nanoparticles on benthic oxygen consumption of microbial communities in freshwater sediments determined by microelectrodes.
abstract: The increased use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) will inevitably result in the release of these particles into aquatic environments, with sediments as a substantial sink. However, we do not know whether AgNPs present potential impacts in sediment functioning. In this study, a microcosm approach was constructed, and the potential impacts of AgNPs and PVP-coated AgNPs on oxygen consumption in freshwater sediments (collected from Taihu Lake) were determined using oxygen microelectrodes. To our knowledge, this is the first time that microelectrodes have been used to estimate the impacts of AgNPs in sediments. The steady-state oxygen microprofiles showed that environmental relevant concentration (1 mg/L nano-Ag) did not lead to an apparent change in the oxygen consumption rates of benthic microbial communities in sediment. The addition of 10 mg/L uncoated AgNPs resulted in remarkable differences in the oxygen concentration profiles within 4-5 h and significantly inhibited the oxygen consumption of benthic microbial communities in the upper sediment layer (∼1 mm) after 100 h. Simultaneously, an increase of oxygen consumption in sediment lower zones was observed. These results may suggest that aerobic microorganisms in the upper layer of the sediment reduced metabolic activity to avoid the toxic stress from AgNPs. Concomitantly, facultative aerobes below the metabolically active upper layer switched from fermentation or anaerobic respiration to aerobic respiration as oxygen bioavailability increased in the lower zones of the sediment. In addition, PVP coating reduced the nanotoxicity of AgNPs in benthic microorganisms due to the decreased dissolution of AgNPs in the filtered overlying water, a phenomenon that merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lingzhan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: hhuhjyhj@126.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Peifang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D012834:Silver / Q000633:toxicity*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012834:Silver
keywords: Benthic microbial community; Freshwater sediment; Microelectrode; Oxygen microprofiles; Silver nanoparticles