Sulfidation of silver nanoparticles: natural antidote to their toxicity.

TitleSulfidation of silver nanoparticles: natural antidote to their toxicity.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsLevard, C, Hotze, EM, Colman, BP, Dale, AL, Truong, L, Yang, XY, Bone, AJ, Brown, GE, Tanguay, RL, Di Giulio, RT, Bernhardt, ES, Meyer, JN, Wiesner, MR, Lowry, GV
JournalEnviron Sci Technol
Volume47
Issue23
Pagination13440-8
Date Published2013
ISSN1520-5851
KeywordsAnimals, Antidotes, Araceae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Chlorides, Embryo, Nonmammalian, Fundulidae, Lethal Dose 50, Metal Nanoparticles, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Povidone, Regression Analysis, Silver, Solubility, Sulfides, Zebrafish
Abstract

Nanomaterials are highly dynamic in biological and environmental media. A critical need for advancing environmental health and safety research for nanomaterials is to identify physical and chemical transformations that affect the nanomaterial properties and their toxicity. Silver nanoparticles, one of the most toxic and well-studied nanomaterials, readily react with sulfide to form Ag(0)/Ag2S core-shell particles. Here, we show that sulfidation decreased silver nanoparticle toxicity to four diverse types of aquatic and terrestrial eukaryotic organisms (Danio rerio (zebrafish), Fundulus heteroclitus (killifish), Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode worm), and the aquatic plant Lemna minuta (least duckweed)). Toxicity reduction, which was dramatic in killifish and duckweed even for low extents of sulfidation (about 2 mol % S), is primarily associated with a decrease in Ag(+) concentration after sulfidation due to the lower solubility of Ag2S relative to elemental Ag (Ag(0)). These results suggest that even partial sulfidation of AgNP will decrease the toxicity of AgNPs relative to their pristine counterparts. We also show that, for a given organism, the presence of chloride in the exposure media strongly affects the toxicity results by affecting Ag speciation. These results highlight the need to consider environmental transformations of NPs in assessing their toxicity to accurately portray their potential environmental risks.

DOI10.1021/es403527n
Alternate JournalEnviron. Sci. Technol.
PubMed ID24180218
PubMed Central IDPMC4019074
Grant ListF31 ES019445 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
P30 ES000210 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States
R01 ES016896 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States