Comparative Toxicity Assessment of Chemical Nanosilver and Biosynthetic Silver Nanoparticles Produced by Marine Macroalgae from the Persian Gulf in Biomarker: Artemia nauplii

BACKGROUND:  Considering the progressing tendency of administration of nanomaterials products in the world and their entrance to aquatic ecosystems, their toxicity assessment on the aquatic environment and proposing the biocompatible solutions in their production seems indispensable. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the toxicity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), chemical and biosynthetic forms were evaluated using the biomarker, artemia nauplii (Artemia fransiscana). METHODS: For toxicity assessment, the OECD standard method was used. The artemia nauplii were exposed to additive serial concentration of biosynthetic and chemical silver nanoparticles. For biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles, aqueous extracts of two species of marine macroalgae Ulva flexuosa (green algae) and Sargassum boveanum (brown algae) were used. Artemia nauplii mortality in the times of 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours after exposure to silver nanoparticles were recorded and analyzed via Probit software. RESULTS: Survey findings showed that not only the toxicity of these three types of silver nanoparticles on artemia nauplii increased in a dose- dependent manner, but also their toxicity increased along with duration of exposure time. The toxicity of these nanoparticles were significantly different (P<0.05). The 48 h LC50 value of chemical AgNPs in the artemia nauplii was 31.8 mg/l, while 48 h LC50 for biosynthesis AgNPs  produced by U. flexuosa, and S. boveanum were 366.96 and 141.16 mg/l respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison of the toxicity of these three types of AgNPs on artemia nauplii showed that, the chemical form of AgNPs was more toxic (up to 10 times) than a biosynthetic form of AgNPs. Moreover, the source of biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles had a considerable impact on toxicity of final production, because a biosynthetic form of AgNPs produced by U. flexuosa was less toxic than the same form prepared from S. boveanum.