Surface capping and size-dependent toxicity of gold nanoparticles on different trophic levels

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 4844 - 4858
• Main Authors: Iswarya, V, Manivannan, J, De, Arpita, Paul, Subhabrata, Roy, Rajdeep, Johnson, J. B, Kundu, Rita, Chandrasekaran, N, Mukherjee, Anita, Mukherjee, Amitava
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algae; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacillus - drug effects; Bacillus - metabolism; Bacteria; Cancer; cell culture; Cell Survival - drug effects; cell viability; Chlorella - drug effects; Chlorella - metabolism; culture media; Cytotoxicity; DNA Damage; dose response; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants - chemistry; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Environmental science; exposure duration; Food chains; Gold; Gold - chemistry; Gold - toxicity; hepatocytes; Humans; lactate dehydrogenase; lakes; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Liver - pathology; Male; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - toxicity; Mice; nanogold; Nanoparticles; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Particle Size; Povidone - chemistry; Povidone - toxicity; pyrrolidones; Reactive Oxygen Species; Research Article; Studies; Surface Properties; Toxicity; trophic relationships; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Surface capping; Size dependent; Stability; Ecotoxicity; Au NPs; Genotoxicity
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5683-0

In the present study, the toxicity of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was evaluated on various trophic organisms. Bacteria, algae, cell line, and mice were used as models representing different trophic levels. Two different sizes (CIT₃₀ and CIT₄₀) and surface-capped (CIT₃₀–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-capped) Au NPs were selected. CIT₃₀ Au NP aggregated more rapidly than CIT₄₀ Au NP, while an additional capping of PVP (CIT₃₀–PVP capped Au NP) was found to enhance its stability in sterile lake water medium. Interestingly, all the forms of NPs evaluated were stable in the cell culture medium during the exposure period. Size- and dose-dependent cytotoxicities were observed in both bacteria and algae, with a strong dependence on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. CIT₃₀–PVP capped Au NP showed a significant decrease in toxicity compared to CIT₃₀ Au NP in bacteria and algae. In the SiHa cell line, dose- and exposure-dependent decline in cell viability were noted for all three types of Au NPs. In mice, the induction of DNA damage was size and dose dependent, and surface functionalization with PVP reduced the toxic effects of CIT₃₀ Au NP. The exposure to CIT₃₀, CIT₄₀, and CIT₃₀–PVP capped Au NPs caused an alteration of the oxidative stress-related endpoints in mice hepatocytes. The toxic effects of the gold nanoparticles were found to vary in diverse test systems, accentuating the importance of size and surface functionalization at different trophic levels.