Developments of nanotechnology lead to a rapid proliferation of nanomaterials (1) that are likely to become a source of many different nanoparticles for the environment. Currently, a general lack of information on the ecotoxicology of engineered nanoparticles (NP) prevents an accurate evaluation of their environmental risks (2, 3). Our research is focused on the fate and effects of engineered metal nanoparticles in aquatic systems. A first study has examined interactions between silver nanoparticles (AgNP) and the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (4). The results indicate the toxicity of AgNP to the photosynthesis of algae and the significant role of ionic Ag+ in determining toxicity. We are currently examining the fate of AgNP and cerium oxide NPs under conditions relevant for freshwaters and exploring their effects on algae. In collaboration with Jin-Sung Ra and Piet Spaak we are examining how AgNPs in algae influence life histories of Daphnia in a simplified food web. Further considered engineered nanoparticles include gold and cerium oxide nanoparticles as well as carbon nanotubes (collaboration with Bernd Nowack, EMPA).
Other research interests focus on examining effects of nanomaterials to fish and mammalian cells (5, 6, 7).
References
[1] Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory 2006. www.nanotechproject.org/consumer-products.
[2] 2Behra R & Krug H (2008) Nanoecotoxicology – Nanoparticles at large. Nature Nanotechnology 3: 253-254.
[3] Navarro E, Baun A, Behra R, Hartmann NB, Filser J, Miao AJ, Quigg A, Santschi PH & Sigg L (2008a) Environmental behavior and ecotoxicity of engineered nanoparticles to algae, plants, and fungi. Ecotoxicology 17: 372-386C.
[4] Navarro E, Piccapietra F, Wagner B, Marconi F, Kaegi R, Odzak N, Sigg L & Behra R (2008b) Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Environmental Science & Technology 42: 8959-896.
[5] Kühnel D, Busch W, Meißner T, Springer A, Potthoff A, Richter V, Gelinsky M, Scholz S, Schirmer K. (2009). Agglomeration of tungsten carbide nanoparticles in exposure medium does not prevent uptake and toxicity toward a rainbow trout gill cell line. Aquatic Toxicology, 93, 91-99.
[6] Bastian, S., Busch, W., Kühnel, D., Springer, A., Meißner, T., Holke, R., Scholz, S., Iwe, M., Pompe, W., Gelinsky, M., Potthoff, A., Richter, V., Ikonomidou, H., Schirmer, K. (2009). Toxicity of Tungsten Carbide and Cobalt-doped Tungsten Carbide Nanoparticles in Mammalian Cells in Vitro. Environ Health Perspect 117 (4), 530-536.
[7] Busch, W., Kuhnel, D., Schirmer, K., and Scholz, S. Tungsten carbide cobalt nanoparticles exert hypoxia-like effects on the gene expression level in human keratinocytes. BMC Genomics 11:65.