Abstract
Since the introduction of nanotechnology there has been an increase in the use of nanoparticles (NPs) in the development of biosensors for the detection of bacterial pathogens. Consequently, research exploring their potential toxicity has also increased as some have been shown to be harmful depending on their size, shape, and chemical composition making it imperative that we understand their possible harm to humans and the environment. In this study we investigated the potential toxicity of three differently coated FeO Magnetic NPs (MNPs), amine, carboxyl, and polyaniline, on the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) nematode. Briefly, C. elegans were exposed to the singular coated-MNPs types at a concentration of 100 μg/mL and assessed for physiological effects on their metabolism, reproduction, longevity, and oxidative stress resistance. Exposure to singular coated-MNPs corresponded with a statistical decrease in their metabolic and acute oxidative stress resistance abilities, and revealed a trend towards lower reproduction and longevity. Taken together, these results add to the growing evidence that FeO coated-MNPs have an in vivo toxic effect on C. elegans. These findings advocate for a need to take safety precautions when discarding FeO coated-MNPs as they may pose a toxic health hazard to our environment and health.
Highlights
The introduction of nanotechnology has lead to an increase in the research and industrial application of NPs in fields related to energy, medicine, safety, and defense [1]
Our results revealed that while there was no difference in the defecation rate between the control and amine-Magnetic NPs (MNPs) groups, there was a statistical decrease in defecation within the carboxyl-MNPs and polyaniline-MNPs groups (Figure 1A)
The findings of this study suggest that aminecoated, carboxyl-coated, and polyaniline-coated FeO -MNPs can impart toxicity to the living C. elegans nematode when administered at a concentration of 100 μg/mL (100 mg/L)
Summary
The introduction of nanotechnology has lead to an increase in the research and industrial application of NPs in fields related to energy, medicine, safety, and defense [1]. Since the 2001 distribution of Bacillus anthracis through the United States postal system, much attention has been directed towards the use of DNA or antibody based biosensors for the biological detection of pathogens that incorporate the use of NPs [2,3,4,5]. The more these biosensors are synthesized and used, the larger impact they may have on our environment as they start to accumulate as waste and decompose. A study comparing the toxicity of silver-NPs to silver ions, found that while silver ion exposure did not impact growth, it resulted in reduced reproduction potential as seen with silver-NP exposure, the silver-NP exposure had bigger reduction in reproduction [11]
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