Читать книгу Nano-Technological Intervention in Agricultural Productivity - Javid A. Parray - Страница 46

Metal toxicity is affected by different factors, such as solubility, biological site specificity, and the like. Toxic effects and heavy metal toxicity are defined as any functional or morphological body changes resulting from ingested, injected, inhaled, or consumed medications and chemical or biological agents [24, 25]. There are also antibacterial processes in metal nanoparticles. Depending on the load on the membrane surface, metal nanoparticles practise cytotoxicity. Gram‐positive cells are less vulnerable to genotoxic effects because of a thicker peptidoglycan layer compared to Gram‐negative cells. Nanotoxicity can be due to the energy exchange between membrane nanoparticles and their aggregation in the cytoplasm [26]. In dechlorinated water with a hardness of 142 mg CaCO₃/l and a pH of 8.2 [27], copper nanoparticles were tested for comparison with the toxicity of soluble Cu ions in zebrafish (D. rerio) [27] (CuSO₄). In this sample, Cu nanoparticles were lower in toxicity than Cu ions. Like Ag [28], nanoparticles are used as an antimicrobial agent. Silver nanoparticles play an essential role in the field of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Their specific size‐dependent characteristics make these peculiar physical, chemical, and biological properties superior and indispensable. The possible antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles is numerous pathogenic microorganisms.

Silver nanoparticles demonstrate undesirable toxic effects on human health and the environment alongside this antimicrobial activity [1]. Ecologists have cautioned that nano‐antimicrobials released into water sources. The widespread release of such a potent antimicrobial may have significant negative implications for bacteria in natural systems. There is also increasing evidence that silver nanoparticles and being toxic to bacteria are incredibly harmful to mammalian cells [29]. Silver nanoparticles damage brain cells [30], liver cells [31], and stem cells. Silver is also extremely toxic to fish [32] algae, individual plants, fungi [33] crustaceans, and bacteria such as heterotrophic nitrogen‐fixing bacteria and chemical soil‐forming bacteria [34] in its bulk form. Silver nanoparticles, which have well‐known bactericidal and cytotoxic effects, including specific mitochondrial products and ROS generation, are mainly produced for antiseptic purposes [31].

Silver is also extremely toxic to fish [32] algae, individual plants, fungi [33] crustaceans, and bacteria such as heterotrophic nitrogen‐fixing bacteria and chemical soil‐forming bacteria [34] in its bulk form. Silver nanoparticles, including unique mitochondrial products and ROS generation, are mainly formulated for antiseptic purposes and have well‐established bactericidal and cytotoxic effects [31, 35].