The effect of silica-magnetite nanoparticles on the ecotoxicity of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.

The increase in the production and application of engineered nanomaterials, including nanoparticles (NPs), leads to their discharge into the environment, where they can interact with coexisting antibiotics from wastewater, causing a complicated joint effect on organisms that need to be studied. Herein, a typical engineered nanomaterial, silica-magnetite NPs modified with tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (MTA-NPs, 1-2 g/L), and common antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP, 0-5 mg/L) were selected as the analytes. Their joint toxicity to a model of ciliates infusoria, Paramecium caudatum was specifically investigated.

Correction: Sample preparation considerations for surface and crystalline properties and ecotoxicity of bare and silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA05703K.].

Sample preparation considerations for surface and crystalline properties and ecotoxicity of bare and silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles.

Magnetite (FeO) nanoparticles (NPs) have widely used in various fields, including in medicine, due to their (super)paramagnetic properties. This requires a thorough evaluation of their possible hazardous effects. However, there is no standard procedure for the preparation of oxidation-prone NPs (such as magnetite) before subjecting them to biological assays.

Ecotoxicity of polyelectrolyte formulations in water and soil matrices.

Interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) formed by the interaction of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes have been proposed as soil structure stabilizers. However, little is known about the environmental safety of IPECs. The goal of this study was to investigate the toxicity of a positively charged IPEC formed by two commercial polymers, namely the cationic biopolymer poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and the anionic biopolymer lignohumate (LH), a humic-based plant growth promoter.

Effect of humic acid on the composition of osmolytes and lipids in a melanin-containing phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata.

Humic substances (HS) have a direct impact on living cells, causing a wide range of various biological effects, and stimulating or inhibiting fungal growth. Therefore, it is important to reveal cellular indicators that could indicate the nature and level of HS' effects on living organisms. Paying attention to the important role of lipid and osmolytes in adaptation to stress, the aim of this work was to study the composition of osmolytes and lipids in the growth dynamics of the phytopathogenic melanin-containing fungus Alternaria alternata under the influence of humic acid (HA).