Probing the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials
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Probing the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials in aquatic environments
Researcher: Michael Mitzel, Nathalie Tufenkji
Key highlights:
- Release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) into aquatic environments is a risk to water safety and environmental health.
- Little is known about a microorganism’s immediate avoidance behavior when exposed to nanoparticulate contaminants.
- Swimming avoidance of the freshwater algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was observed after the exposure to a gradient of silver nanoparticles (nAg) in a microfluidics device.
- The observed rapid avoidance swimming response indicates that organisms may be able to sense and avoid certain contaminants at exposure.