ArticlePloS one2014
Size-dependent toxicity of silver nanoparticles to bacteria, yeast, algae, crustaceans and mammalian cells in vitro.
Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 147 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
147 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 571 citations in OpenAlex.
- Anti-inflammatory activity of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs): An Updated Systematic review from in vivo, and in vitro studies.Inflammopharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- The Application of Silver to Decontaminate Dental Unit Waterlines-a Systematic Review.Biological trace element research · 2022Pooled it
- Cerium-Modified Diatom Biosilica for Lithium-Ion Anodes.ACS omega · 2026Article
- Caffeic Acid and Human Health: Evidence-Based Roles in Disease Prevention and Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Natural Products and Antimicrobial Nanoparticles Against Methicillin-ResistantPharmaceutics · 2026Review
- Metal Oxide Nanocomposites as Next-Generation Antimicrobial Agents Against Oral Cariogenic Pathogens: Mechanistic Actions of Ag-ZnO and Cu-ZnO onMaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Role and Potential of Nanotechnology in Improving Solubility and Enhancing Bioavailability.Pharmaceutics · 2026Review
- Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles withRSC advances · 2026Article
- Contact-Dependent Antibacterial Performance of Silver Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Collagen-Based Gels.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2026Article
- Nanomaterials as electrochemical regulators of bacterial biofilms through the modulation of extracellular electron transport and ion channels.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2026Review
- Bacterial-engineered self-stabilizing ultra-small AgCu nanoparticles for dual antimicrobial-anticancer therapy.Bioactive materials · 2026Article
- Batch-Dependent Hepatobiliary Toxicity of 10 nm Silver Nanoparticles After Single Intravenous Administration in Mice.Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Ultrastructural Evaluation (SEM) ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Formulating Smart All-in-One Chitosan Hydrogel for High Performance Wound Dressing.Advanced healthcare materials · 2026Article
- Effect of powder particle size on hydration rates, permeability and antimicrobial properties of tricalcium silicate in root canals.Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine · 2025Article
- Toxicological Responses of Photosynthetic Genes inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Surface modifications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with citric acid, selenium, and silver combining with polymer blend as antibacterial agent.Discover nano · 2025Article
- Recent advances in metallic nanostructure-based photothermal therapy in the management of cancer metastasis.Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) · 2025Review
- The Metal Oxidation State in Cu, CuO, and CuToxics · 2025Article
- The Toxicological Profile of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients-Containing Nanoparticles: Classification, Mechanistic Pathways, and Health Implications.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
87 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The concept of nanotechnologies is based on size-dependent properties of particles in the 1-100 nm range. However, the relation between the particle size and biological effects is still unclear. The aim of the current paper was to generate and analyse a homogenous set of experimental toxicity data on Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of similar coating (citrate) but of 5 different primary sizes (10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 nm) to different types of organisms/cells commonly used in toxicity assays: bacterial, yeast and algal cells, crustaceans and mammalian cells in vitro. When possible, the assays were conducted in ultrapure water to minimise the effect of medium components on silver speciation. The toxic effects of NPs to different organisms varied about two orders of magnitude, being the lowest (∼0.1 mg Ag/L) for crustaceans and algae and the highest (∼26 mg Ag/L) for mammalian cells. To quantify the role of Ag ions in the toxicity of Ag NPs, we normalized the EC50 values to Ag ions that dissolved from the NPs. The analysis showed that the toxicity of 20-80 nm Ag NPs could fully be explained by released Ag ions whereas 10 nm Ag NPs proved more toxic than predicted. Using E. coli Ag-biosensor, we demonstrated that 10 nm Ag NPs were more bioavailable to E. coli than silver salt (AgNO3). Thus, one may infer that 10 nm Ag NPs had more efficient cell-particle contact resulting in higher intracellular bioavailability of silver than in case of bigger NPs. Although the latter conclusion is initially based on one test organism, it may lead to an explanation for "size-dependent" biological effects of silver NPs. This study, for the first time, investigated the size-dependent toxic effects of a well-characterized library of Ag NPs to several microbial species, protozoans, algae, crustaceans and mammalian cells in vitro.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.