Abstract
Roller experiments were conducted to explore the effect of nano-silver on the formation of marine snow and the underlying microbial mechanism. With the increasing concentration of nano-Ag from 1 ng/L to 1 mg/L, the formation and aggregation of marine snow particles were solidly suppressed in a dose-dependent pattern. Moreover, the formed marine snows tended to be thinner fibrous particles with smaller size and increased edge smoothness and compactness in the presence of nano-Ag. The microbial analyses indicated that nano-Ag not only inhibited the development of biomass but also changed the species composition and functional profile of the microbial community. Nano-Ag obviously inhibited most of the abundant species, except for some myxobacteria, which is unfavorable for the microbial community stability. For the microbial functions, some major biological processes including the growth, metabolic, and cellular processes were also inhibited by the high dosage of nano-Ag. The strong microbial inhibition of nano-Ag would contribute to the suppression on the formation of marine snow. Specifically, the function genes of extracellular polymeric substance synthesis and secretion were significantly reduced by nano-Ag, which might be the key and straight microbial factor in suppressing the formation of marine snow.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.