Silver-based nanoparticle presence in everyday items has surged over the past decade. Silver is an efficient antibacterial agent but can harm the environment. A study published in the journal iScience aims to discern the relationship between microbial activity and silver, providing a means for limiting the unintended environmental impact of silver-based nanoparticles
Silver – An Effective Antibacterial Agent
Silver’s antimicrobial qualities have been known for centuries. Silver containers were revered for their capacity to keep dairy items from spoiling, and the Greeks employed silver creams to treat wound infections. Several commercial goods now use silver, although in a much more effective form.
Silver-based nanoparticles used in fabrics are advertised for their excellent resistance to odors. Medical supplies are readily layered with silver-based nanoparticles to restrict the growth of bacteria. Similarly, silver-based nanoparticles used in paints, countertops, and toys promise long-lasting antimicrobial characteristics.
Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on the Ecosystem
The generation of silver-based nanoparticles currently exceeds 600 metric tons, with most of it contaminating the environment through wastewater and solid waste.
The uncontrolled exposure to silver-based nanoparticles is a rising issue since these nanoparticles may harm naturally existing bacteria, marine environments, and even human health. Therefore, the modification of silver-based nanoparticle toxicity may contribute to enhanced antimicrobial technology and may limit undesirable environmental consequences after disposal.
Controlling silver-based nanoparticle toxicity necessitates controlling nanoparticle dissolution. The duration of this dissolution process is defined by parameters such as pH, the amount of sulfide, dissolved oxygen, the quantity of natural organic matter, and ambient light.
Manipulating Silver’s Toxicity
Silver ions are hazardous to bacteria as they may attach to various proteins, causing their activities to be disrupted. When these silver ions are discharged due to particle breakdown, they account for the majority of the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles. No harm is found when all of the oxygen is removed.
Antimicrobial action may be significantly boosted if nanoparticle breakdown is encouraged by acidification. Attempting to manipulate the dissolution of silver-based nanoparticles by changing the aqueous-based solution, on the other hand, might be a daunting prospect for regulating the nanoparticle’s complete existence.
Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR)
The next logical progression in the research of silver-based nanoparticles is to develop a structure-activity relationship (SAR). The optimal SAR would use the structural properties of a silver-based nanoparticle, such as the particle’s dimensions, as input and forecast the dissolution of silver as well as antibacterial activity.
The nanoparticles themselves pose a problem in producing such data. The most common techniques for producing silver-based nanoparticles produce materials with uncontrolled surface characteristics, size, and shape—the accuracy of the activity-structure relationships is reduced.
Basis of the Research
The link between silver-based nanoparticle architecture, silver dissolution, and silver’s antibacterial action was defined by the team. Several synthetic approaches were created or changed to create a massive collection of nanoparticles with individually adjusted surface chemistries, dimensions, and shapes.
The collection of nanoparticles allowed the team to untangle the effect of each variable on the dissolution, demonstrating the link between structural factors and dissolution performance unequivocally.
The team investigated the dynamics and equilibrium behavior of silver-based nanoparticle dissolution utilizing conventional techniques to obtain numerical data for structural characteristics comparison. The team also assessed the antimicrobial ability of similar samples.
Results of the Study
Utilizing a collection of silver-based nanoparticles customized to demonstrate a broad variety of surface chemistries, sizes, and shapes, this study evaluated how silver-based nanoparticle properties affect antibacterial effectiveness and their environmental effect.
The team highlighted that when there is a greater surface area of silver accessible, there is more dissolved silver. Similarly, the team ascertained that tiny particles dissolve to a higher degree than bigger particles for a similar mass fraction of silver, as expected by their proportionately greater surface areas.
For almost all substances, the dissolution rate was proportionate to the amount of dissolution; the nanoparticles that dissolved quicker also dissolved to a greater degree.
The team concluded that these discoveries offer new insight into silver’s chemistry at the nanoscale, and help to make room for the effective and safe usage of silver-based nanoparticles.

News
The Surprising Origin of a Deadly Hospital Infection
C. diff might not originate from external transmission but rather from within the infected patient themselves. Hospital staff dedicate significant effort to safeguard patients from infections during their hospital stay. Through practices ranging from [...]
Google AI breakthrough – huge step in finding genes that cause diseases
Google says it has made a significant step in identifying disease-causing genes, which could help spot rare genetic disorders. A new model named AlphaMissense is able to confidently classify 89 per cent of all [...]
New Study: Everyday Pleasures Can Boost Cognitive Performance
MINDWATCH study reveals cognitive peaks with everyday pleasures. Listening to music and drinking coffee are the sorts of everyday pleasures that can impact a person’s brain activity in ways that improve cognitive performance, including [...]
Moderna reveals new highly targeted COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1283
Moderna has developed a new and improved version of its COVID-19 vaccine. The unique formulation (mRNA-1283) reduces the vaccine's content from the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to a narrowly focused encoding of just two [...]
New nanotech weapon takes aim at hard-to-treat breast cancer
Breast cancer in its various forms affects more than 250,000 Americans a year. One particularly aggressive and hard-to-treat type is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks specific receptors targeted by existing treatments. The rapid [...]
Scientists upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemical ingredients useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all [...]
Yale Scientists Uncover How the Immune System Can Alter Our Behavior
The mere scent of seafood can severely sicken those allergic to it — and therefore they are more likely to avoid it. Similarly, individuals who experience food poisoning from a specific dish tend to [...]
Whirlwind Tech – The Future of Energy-Efficient Spintronics Computing
Researchers in Germany and Japan have been able to increase the diffusion of magnetic whirls, so-called skyrmions, by a factor of ten. In today’s world, our lives are unimaginable without computers. Up until now, [...]
Omicron’s Silver Lining: Significantly Lower Risk of Long COVID
Omicron infections have a lower risk of long COVID than earlier variants, according to a study analyzing data from 11,000 participants. The risk of developing long COVID is significantly lower following an infection with [...]
The Hidden Mechanism Connecting Diabetes and Cancer
Researchers have discovered that insulin resistance, typically linked with type 2 diabetes, is also present in cancer patients and can accelerate the spread of the disease. In the 1920s, scientists found that the urine [...]
Scientists Unveil Urea’s Secret Role in the Origin of Life
Scientists from ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva have developed a new technique that allows them to observe chemical reactions taking place in liquids at extremely high temporal resolution. This innovation enables them to track how molecules [...]
Viagra Lowers Alzheimer’s Risk by Almost 70%, Early Study Finds
Research published recently suggests that Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction drug Viagra can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 69 percent. The research, which was published in Nature, found that the medication has [...]
Future of Medical Imaging: Advanced AI Can Tell Your True Age by Looking at Your Chest
An AI-powered model utilizes chest X-rays to help develop biomarkers for aging. What if determining “your age” was based on your chest rather than your face? Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University have crafted an [...]
Ultra-sensitive biosensors detect cancer in a blood test
Cancer biomarkers circulating in body fluids can be used for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. However, current detection technology lacks the required sensitivity, limiting biomarker use in clinical applications. Colorectal cancer is the second most [...]
Viruses cause 200+ diseases. This one drug may be able to treat them all.
By taking aim at a process common across many viruses, the drug could one day stop any number of known viruses — and new ones. t’s about as audacious an idea as you can [...]
Scientists Identify Potential Treatment for Rare and Devastating Lung Disease
The findings could lead to a cure for LAM. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati may have identified a potential treatment for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung condition resembling cancer found predominantly in women of reproductive [...]