Abstract
Silver metals have been used as chemical catalysis and antimicrobial agents. We examined the cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles by using Paramecium cells. Our results indicate that silver nanoparticles continuously produce silver ions in water. The silver ions, in turn, cause serious cytotoxicity towards paramecia. We have identified three kinds of proteins; human serum albumin (HSA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and casein (CA) as potent antidotes for silver ions. Our findings will provide a useful method for detoxification of silver ions not only for human health but also for water environments.
