Issue 2, 2016

Toxic interactions of different silver forms with freshwater green algae and cyanobacteria and their effects on mechanistic endpoints and the production of extracellular polymeric substances

Abstract

This study investigated the magnitude and mechanisms of toxicity that ionic silver and two silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of differing size and stabiliser imparted on two model organisms, green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and cyanobacteria (Synechococcus leopoliensis), and their effect on the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced. Major silver losses were detected during the 72 h of exposure compared with introduced nominal concentrations. Cell viability and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated to assess mechanisms of toxicity. All silver forms had a significant effect on viability for C. reinhardtii but only ionic silver significantly affected ROS production. For S. leopoliensis, only ionic silver affected viability. Levels of EPS produced by both species were similar between all treatments. Compositional differences were noted for C. reinhardtii with greater levels of lower molecular weight material produced in the presence of all silver forms. The results indicate that ionic silver has the greatest effect on the toxic stress endpoints. Variations between the ionic control and the two AgNP treatments are possibly due to differences in the ionic release dynamics and interactions with EPS produced by microorganisms. S. leopoliensis showing greater reduction in growth rates but lower impact on viability and ROS than C. reinhardtii is likely related to differences in relevant biological properties such as size and cell wall composition.

Graphical abstract: Toxic interactions of different silver forms with freshwater green algae and cyanobacteria and their effects on mechanistic endpoints and the production of extracellular polymeric substances

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Aug 2015
Accepted
29 Dec 2015
First published
04 Jan 2016

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2016,3, 396-408

Toxic interactions of different silver forms with freshwater green algae and cyanobacteria and their effects on mechanistic endpoints and the production of extracellular polymeric substances

C. Taylor, M. Matzke, A. Kroll, D. S. Read, C. Svendsen and A. Crossley, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2016, 3, 396 DOI: 10.1039/C5EN00183H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements