Antimicrobial effects of zero-valent iron nanoparticles on gram-positive Bacillus strains and gram-negative Escherichia coli strains.

Background: Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) have been used extensively for the remediation of contami-nated soil and groundwater. Owing to their large active surface area, they serve as strong and efective reductants. However, the ecotoxicity and bioavailability of ZVI NPs in diverse ecological media have not been evaluated in detail and most studies have focused on non-nano ZVI or Fe0 . In addition, the antimicrobial properties of ZVI NPs have rarely been investigated, and the underlying mechanism of their toxicity remains unknown. Results: In the present study, we demonstrate that ZVI NPs exhibited signifcant toxicity at 1000 ppm against two distinct gram-positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis 3610 and Bacillus thuringiensis 407) but not against two gramnegative strains (Escherichia coli K12 and ATCC11634). Specifcally, ZVI NPs caused at least a 4-log and 1-log reductions in cell numbers, respectively, in the two Bacillus strains, whereas no change was detected in the two E. coli strains. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near-edge, and extended X-ray absorption fne structure spec-tra confrmed that Bacillus cells exposed to ZVI NPs contained mostly Fe2O3 with some detectable FeS. This fnding indicated that Fe0 nanoparticles penetrated the bacterial cells, where they were subsequently oxidized to Fe2O3 and FeS. RedoxSensor analysis and propidium iodide (PI) staining showed decreased reductase activity and increased PI in both Bacillus strains treated with a high (1000 ppm) concentration of ZVI NPs. Conclusion: Taken together, these data show that the toxicity of ZVI NPs was derived from their oxidative properties, which may increase the levels of reactive oxygen species and lead to cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]