Chapter 4 - Assessing the environmental impact of anthropogenic nanoparticles

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles’ (AgNPs) interaction with other anthropogenic contaminants influences their surface properties, aggregation state, stability, and, consequently, their toxic response toward microbial pathogens. In the present study, we examined the interaction of heavy metal lead ion (Pb + 2 ) on AgNPs’ stability and antimicrobial response. We examined the effect of the metal ions on the toxicity of AgNPs using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains. AgNPs changed the availability of Pb + 2 to bacterial cells and altered individual antimicrobial toxicity. Pb + 2 exposure with AgNPs displayed higher toxicity toward bacterial strains. In the presence of humic acid, the Pb + 2 decreases the adsorption of AgNPs, thus making them more available to bacterial cells. The results heighten the need to study nanoparticles’ interaction with other contaminants stability and biological response as they seldom are in the environment independently.