The effect of silver nanoparticles on the toxicity of mercury in Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758) in simultaneous and individual exposure

The use of nanoparticles in various industries has led to the release of very large amounts of these materials in the environment, and therefore, its spread in nature has increased the likelihood of their impact on organisms. In this study, the simultaneous and separate effects of mercury ions with/without silver nitrate and silver nanoparticles on Artemia salina were investigated. For this purpose, A. salina was grown in vitro and A. salina nauplius was exposed to different concentrations of silver nanoparticles and mercury ions and its mortality rate was evaluated after 24 and 48 hours. The effects of these contaminants on the fatty acid profile of A. salina were also evaluated. A. salina losses were reduced by simultaneous exposure of mercury and silver nitrate and simultaneous exposure of mercury and silver nanoparticles due to the mercury uptake by silver nitrate and silver nanoparticles, and the effect of mercury toxicity was reduced and mercury caused fewer losses in simultaneous exposure. Also, in the study of A. salina fatty acid profile in comparison with separate mercury treatment, a decrease in SFA fatty acids in the simultaneous exposure of mercury and silver nitrate to the amount of this type of fatty acids in the control was observed. In addition, the amount of MUFA fatty acids in the simultaneous exposure of mercury and silver nitrate was significantly higher than the control (P˂0.05). In conclusion, toxicity effects of mercury on the artemia was reduced in simultaneous exposure to silver ions and nanoparticles compared with the separate exposure, indicating the necessity of paying more attention to the contaminants interactions in aquatic ecosystems and the effects of this interaction on the contaminants bioavailability and toxicity.