Laboratory for Biocolloids and Surface Chemistry, Division of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
Department of Environmental Protection and Health Ecology, Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Mirogojska cesta 16, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
Chemosphere. 2020 Jul;250:126265. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126265. Epub 2020 Feb 20.
This study, motivated to fill the knowledge gap on environmental safety of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), provides information on the stability and environmental safety of four differently coated SeNPs rendering both positive and negative surface charges. The stability and dissolution behaviour of SeNPs were determined in an aquatic model media of different ionic strength to provide information regarding the environmental fate of SeNPs in different environmental conditions. The environmental safety of SeNPs was evaluated by acute regulatory toxicity tests using Daphina magna and Vibrio fischeri as model organisms. Agglomeration was observed for all studied SeNPs in test media with higher ionic strength caused by the disruption of surface charge leading to electrostatic instability. Toxicity of SeNPs on both aquatic species was dose-dependent and increased with exposure time. The obtained data indicated that all of the tested SeNPs could be classified as harmful to the natural bacteria V. fischeri and harmful to toxic to crustaceans D. magna, but dependent on the coating agent used for SeNPs stabilization. Although SeNPs have attracted great interest for use in biomedicine, this study demonstrated that their ecotoxicological effects should be considered during the design of new of SeNPs-based products.
本研究旨在填补硒纳米粒子（SeNPs）环境安全性方面的知识空白，提供了关于四种带正、负表面电荷的不同涂层 SeNPs 的稳定性和环境安全性的信息。在不同离子强度的水相模型介质中测定了 SeNPs 的稳定性和溶解行为，为了解 SeNPs 在不同环境条件下的环境归宿提供了信息。采用大型溞和发光菌作为模式生物的急性监管毒性试验评估了 SeNPs 的环境安全性。在离子强度较高的测试介质中观察到所有研究的 SeNPs 发生团聚，这是由于表面电荷的破坏导致静电不稳定性所致。SeNPs 对两种水生生物的毒性均呈剂量依赖性，并随暴露时间的延长而增加。所得数据表明，所有测试的 SeNPs 均可归类为对天然细菌 V. fischeri 有害，对甲壳类动物 D. magna 有毒，但取决于用于稳定 SeNPs 的涂层剂。尽管 SeNPs 在生物医学中的应用引起了广泛关注，但本研究表明，在设计基于 SeNPs 的新产品时，应考虑其生态毒理学效应。
