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The toxicity of silver nanoparticles to zebrafish embryos increases through sewage treatment processes

Ecotoxicology volume 22, pages 1264–1277 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely believed to be retained in the sewage sludge during sewage treatment. The AgNPs and their derivatives, however, re-enter the environment with the sludge and via the effluent. AgNP were shown to occur in surface water, while evidence of a potential toxicity of AgNPs in aquatic organisms is growing. This study aims to examine the toxicity of AgNPs to the embryos of the aquatic vertebrate model zebrafish (Danio rerio) before and after sewage treatment plants (STPs) processes. Embryos were treated with AgNP (particle size: >90 % <20 nm) and AgNO3 in ISO water for 48 h and consequently displayed effects such as delayed development, tail malformations and edema. For AgNP, the embryos were smaller than the controls with conspicuously smaller yolk sacs. The corresponding EC50 values of 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) were determined as 73 μg/l for AgNO3 and 1.1 mg/l for AgNP. Whole-mount immunostainings of primary and secondary motor neurons also revealed secondary neurotoxic effects. A TEM analysis confirmed uptake of the AgNPs, and the distribution within the embryo suggested absorption across the skin. Embryos were also exposed (for 48 h) to effluents of AgNP-spiked model STP with AgNP influent concentrations of 4 and 16 mg/l. These embryos exhibited the same malformations than for AgNO3 and AgNPs, but the embryo toxicity of the sewage treatment effluent was higher (EC50 = 142 μg/l; 48 hpf). On the other hand, control STP effluent spiked with AgNPs afterwards was less toxic (EC50 = 2.9 mg/l; 48 hpf) than AgNPs in ISO water. This observation of an increased fish embryo toxicity of STP effluents with increasing AgNP influent concentrations identifies the accumulation of AgNP in the STP as a potential source of effluent toxicity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG) internal programs under Grant No. Attract 692093. We thank Dr. Thorsten Klawonn for performing the ICP–OES analytics.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Forckenbeckstrasse 6, 52074, Aachen, Germany

    Elke Muth-Köhne, Laura Sonnack & Martina Fenske

  2. Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Schmallenberg, Germany

    Karsten Schlich, Kerstin Hund-Rinke & Christoph Schäfers

  3. Department of Cellular Neurobionics, Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Florian Hischen & Werner Baumgartner

Authors
  1. Elke Muth-Köhne
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  2. Laura Sonnack
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  3. Karsten Schlich
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  4. Florian Hischen
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  8. Martina Fenske
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Correspondence to Martina Fenske.

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Muth-Köhne, E., Sonnack, L., Schlich, K. et al. The toxicity of silver nanoparticles to zebrafish embryos increases through sewage treatment processes. Ecotoxicology 22, 1264–1277 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-013-1114-5

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Keywords

  • Silver nanoparticles
  • Silver
  • Zebrafish embryo
  • Sewage treatment processes
  • Toxicity