Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Method for Preparing Silver Nanoparticle Suspensions in Bulk for Ecotoxicity Testing and Ecological Risk Assessment

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Methods are needed to prepare stable suspensions of engineered nanoparticles in aqueous matrixes for ecotoxicity testing and ecological risk assessments. We developed a novel method of preparing large volumes of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in suspension using a commercially available rotor–stator dispersion mill. AgNP in powder form (PVP capped, 30–50 nm) was suspended in deionized water and natural lake water at 1 g/L and the addition of 0.025% (w/v) gum arabic (GA) increased stability over 2 weeks after preparation. The concentrations of total and dissolved Ag in the suspensions did not change significantly over this period. Analysis of hydrodynamic diameters of the major peaks in suspension using dynamic light scattering showed that suspensions prepared with GA were stable, and this was confirmed by single-particle ICP-MS analysis. This method for dispersing AgNPs provides an inexpensive, yet reliable method for preparing suspensions for toxicity testing and ecosystem level studies of the fate and biological effects of AgNPs in aquatic ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Batley GE, Kirby JK, McLaughlin MJ (2013) Fate and risks of nanomaterials in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Acc Chem Res 46:854–862

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bilberg K, Malte H, Wang T, Baatrap E (2010) Silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate cause respiratory stress in Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis). Aquat Toxicol 96:159–165.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng Y, Yin L, Lin S, Wiesner M, Bernhardt E, Liu J (2011) Toxicity reduction of polymer-stabilized silver nanoparticles by sunlight. J Phys Chem C 115:4425–4432

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland D, Long SE, Pennington PL, Cooper E, Fulton MH, Scott GI, Brewer T, Davis J, Petersen EJ, Wood L (2012) Pilot estuarine mesocosm study on the environmental fate of silver nanomaterials leached from consumer goods. Sci Total Environ 421–422:267–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furtado LM, Hoque ME, Mitrano DF, Ranville JF, Cheever B, Frost PC, Xenopoulos MA, Hintelmann H, Metcalfe CD (2014) The persistence and transformation of silver nanoparticles in littoral lake mesocosms monitored using various analytical techniques. Environ Chem 11:419–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Furtado LM, Cheever B, Xenopoulus MA, Frost PC, Metcalfe CD, Hintelmann H (2015) Fate of silver nanoparticles in freshwater lake mesocosms. Environ Sci Technol 49:8441–8450

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Furtado LM, Bundschuh M, Metcalfe CD (2016) Monitoring the fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in natural waters. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 97:449–455

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao J, Youn S, Hovsepyan A, Llaneza VI, Wang Y, Bitton G, Bonzongo J-CJ (2009) Dispersion and toxicity of selected manufactured nanomaterials in natural river water samples: Effects of water chemical composition. Environ Sci Technol 43:3322–3328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garner KL, Suh S, Lenihan HS, Keller AA (2015) Species sensitivity distributions for engineered nanoparticles. Environ Sci Technol 49:5753–5759

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hadioui M, Leclerc S, Wilkinson K (2013) Multimethod quantification of Ag+ release from nanosilver. Talanta 2013:15–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Handy RD, Geert C, Ferrnandes TF et al (2012) Ecotoxicity test methods for engineered nanomaterials: practical experiences and recommendations from the bench. Environ Toxicol Chem 31:15–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Juby KA, Dwivedi C, Kumar M, Kota S, Misra HS, Bajaj PN (2012) AgNP-loaded PVA/gum acacia hydrogel: Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial study. Carbohydr Polym 89:906–913

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kittler S, Greulich C, Diendorf J, Koller M, Epple M (2010) Toxicity of AgNP increases during storage because of slow dissolution under release of silver ions. Chem Mater 22:4548–4554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • López-Miranda A, López-Valdivieso A, Viramontes-Gamboa G (2012) AgNP synthesis in aqueous solutions using sulfite as reducing agent and SDS as stabilizer. J Nanopart Res 14:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowry GV, Espinasse BP, Badireddy AR et al (2012) Long-term transformation and fate of manufactured Ag nanoparticles in a simulated large scale freshwater emergent wetland. Environ Sci Technol 46:7027–7036

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mallevre F, Alba C, Milne C, Gillespie S, Fernandes TF, Aspray TJ (2016) Toxicity testing of pristine and aged silver nanoparticles in real wastewaters using bioluminescent Pseudomonas putida. Nanomaterials 6:49–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin JD, Colson T-L, Langlois VS, Metcalfe CD (2017) Biomarkers of exposure to nanosilver and silver accumulation in yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Environ Toxicol Chem. doi:10.1002/etc.3644

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray L, Rennie M, Enders E, Pleskach K, Martin J (2017) Effect of nanosilver on cortisol release and morphometrics in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Environ Toxicol Chem. doi:10.1002/etc.3691

    Google Scholar 

  • Nowack B, Ranville J, Diamond S, Gallego-Urrea J, Metcalfe CD, Rose J, Horne N, Koelmans AA, Klaine SJ (2012) Potential scenarios for nanomaterial release and subsequent alteration in the environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 31:50–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2012) Guidance on sample preparation and dosimetry for the safety testing of manufactured nanomaterials, Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials No. 36, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Environment Directorate, Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology in Paris, ENV/JM/MONO(2012) 40, 93 p

  • Olenin AY, Krutyakov YA, Kudrinskii AA, Lisichkin GV (2008) Formation of surface layers on silver nanoparticles in aqueous and water-organic media. Colloid J 70:71–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peijnenburg WJGM, Baalousha M, Chen J et al (2015) A review of the properties and processes determining the fate of engineered nanomaterials in the aquatic environment. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 45:2084–2134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pham CH, Yi J, Gu MB (2012) Biomarker gene response in male medaka (Oryzias latipes) chronically exposed to silver nanoparticles. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 78:239–245.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sabri N, Hanna K, Yargeau V (2012) Chemical oxidation of ibuprofen in the presence of iron species at near neutral pH. Sci Total Environ 427–428:382–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaumann GE, Philippe A, Bundschuh M et al (2015) Understanding the fate and biological effects of Ag- and TiO2-nanoparticles in the environment: the quest for advanced analytics and interdisciplinary concepts. Sci Total Environ 535:3–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz AG, Boyle D, Chamot D, Ong K, Wilkinson KJ, McGeer JC, Sunahara G, Goss GG (2014) Aquatic toxicity of manufactured nanomaterials: challenges and recommendations for future toxicity testing. Environ Chem 11:207–226

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Telgmann L, Metcalfe CD, Hintelmann H (2014) Rapid size characterization of silver nanoparticles by single particle ICP-MS and isotope dilution. J Anal Atom Spectrom 29:1265–1272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Consumer products inventory. http://www.nanotechproject.org/cpi. Accessed July 5 2016)

  • Vance ME, Kuiken T, Vejerano EP, McGinnis SP, Hochella MF Jr, Rejeski D, Hull MS (2015) Nanotechnology in the real world: Redeveloping the nanomaterial consumer products inventory. Beilstein J Nanotechnol 6:1769–1780

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang D, Xie T, Peng Q, Li Y (2008) Ag, Ag2S, and Ag2Se nanocrystals: synthesis, assembly, and construction of mesoporous structures. J Am Chem Soc 130:4016–4022

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. E. Hoque and B. Seaborn at Trent University for their technical assistance, L. Shen and V. Yargeau at McGill University for the TEM photomicrographs, and T. Kritzer at Kady® International for providing advice on how to optimize mill parameters for preparing AgNP suspensions

Funding

Funding was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada through the Strategic Grants Program (#413230-2011).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada

    Jonathan D. Martin, Lena Telgmann & Chris D. Metcalfe

Authors
  1. Jonathan D. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lena Telgmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chris D. Metcalfe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chris D. Metcalfe.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Martin, J.D., Telgmann, L. & Metcalfe, C.D. A Method for Preparing Silver Nanoparticle Suspensions in Bulk for Ecotoxicity Testing and Ecological Risk Assessment. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 98, 589–594 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2067-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2067-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation