Toxicity Study of Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles Using Paramecium Caudatum Ciliates

Currently, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used as biocides, but when released into the environment, they can affect nontarget organisms. In this regard, there is an increasing need to develop the synthesis of AgNPs using biological agents. However, the toxic effect of biogenic AgNPs on aquatic organisms has not been studied in detail. A model is proposed for using the freshwater ciliate Paramecium caudatum as a test organism to assess the toxic effect of AgNPs synthesized using sphagnum moss. The effect of different concentrations of biogenic AgNPs is studied based on the biological responses of paramecia on survival, growth rate, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and macronucleus morphology. The results show that AgNPs stabilized with sphagnum extract is toxic to ciliates, demonstrating a pronounced dose-dependent effect.