Toxicity of silver nanoparticles and their removal applying phytoremediation system to water environment: an overview

Abstract

The widespread use of silver nanomaterials potentially harms the health of the whole ecosystem, especially the aquatic environment. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are directly released into environment from washing machines, colloidal silver medicines, and other AgNPs-containing products. Review of ecotoxicological studies and the prediction of the future environmental concentrations (PEC) shows the presence of a toxic level of AgNPs in the surface water and reveals their effect and risks to aquatic organisms. However, the AgNPs transport behavior, their transformation in the natural environment, and how this behavior poses a risk to human and ecosystem health are significant issues that have not been clearly known; thus, there is a pressing need to investigate them and provide effective solutions. This study reviews the potential of macrophytes to remove AgNPs in aqueous solutions. It also discusses the impact of AgNPs on water environments, their toxicity to aquatic organisms, and the phytoremediation functions.