Impact of sulfidation on the bioavailability and toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Caenorhabditis elegans

Sulfidation is a major transformation product for manufactured silver nanoparticles (Ag-MNPs) in the wastewater treatment process. We studied the dissolution, uptake, and toxicity of Ag-MNP and sulfidized Ag-MNPs (sAg-MNPs) to a model soil organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. Our results show that reproduction was the most sensitive endpoint tested for both Ag-MNPs and sAg-MNPs. We also demonstrate that sulfidation not only decreases solubility of Ag-MNP, but also reduces the bioavailability of intact sAg-MNP. The relative contribution of released Ag+ compared to intact particles to toxicity was concentration dependent. At lower total Ag concentration, a greater proportion of the toxicity could be explained by dissolved Ag, whereas at higher total Ag concentration, the toxicity appeared to be dominated by particle specific effects. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.