Natural Organic Ingredients Reduce Aquatic Toxicity of Nanoparticles
Although the effects of natural organic matter (NOM) on nanoparticles (NPs) in the food chain have not been investigated, studies have found that NOM present in aquatic environments influences the toxicity and behavior of NPs. You You Study: Effect of organic matter on trophic transfer of silver nanoparticles in aquatic food chains. Image Credit: Tim7914/Shutterstock.com In an article recently published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, researchers chose Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) bacterial species and Tetrahymena thermophila ( T. thermophila ) protozoa to investigate the effect of NOM on trophic transfer, toxicity, and bioaccumulation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The results revealed that NOM reduced the toxicity of Ag NPs at T. thermophila and E. coli through influence mechanisms such as reduction of Ag NP accumulation or Ag . formation + ionic complexes, which are specific for the type of organism and NOM. Ag NP biomagnification on T. thermophila is through trophi