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The Biological Effects and Possible Modes of Action of Nanosilver

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Book cover Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 223

Part of the book series: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ((RECT,volume 223))

Abstract

Engineered nanomaterials are increasingly employed in a variety of applications. The size of nanoparticles, by definition, ranges between 1 and 100 nm in at least one dimension (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004). Such dimensions result in a high surface area to volume ratio. The subsequent chemical, physical, and biological properties of nanomaterials are unique, and lead to diverse technical applications and prospectively to widespread use in commercial products. In 2004, the production volume of nanomaterials was estimated to be 2,000 t worldwide, and is expected to rise to 58,000 t within the next decade (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering 2004).

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank D. Whitacre and H. Hollert for critically commenting on and editing the manuscript. This work was financially supported by the German National Academic Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Carolin Völker, Matthias Oetken & Jörg Oehlmann

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  1. Carolin Völker
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  2. Matthias Oetken
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  3. Jörg Oehlmann
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Correspondence to Carolin Völker .

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  1. 5115 Bunch Road, Summerfield, 27358, North Carolina, USA

    David M. Whitacre

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Völker, C., Oetken, M., Oehlmann, J. (2013). The Biological Effects and Possible Modes of Action of Nanosilver. In: Whitacre, D. (eds) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 223. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 223. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5577-6_4

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