Publications by Laura Sigg | EPFL Graph Search

Toxicity and translocation of Ag, CuO, ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles upon exposure to fish intestinal epithelial cells

Understanding the ability of fish intestinal cells to act as a barrier for nanoparticle (NP) uptake and their effects is of significance from an environmental perspective as well as for human health, for which fish serves as an important nutrient source. W ...

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY2021

Cytotoxicity, Accumulation and Translocation of Silver and Silver Sulfide Nanoparticles in contact with Rainbow Trout Intestinal Cells

Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are widely used in consumer products especially because of their antimicrobial properties. However, this wide usage of Ag NPs is accompanied by their release into the environment where they will be rapidly transformed to other ...

ELSEVIER2021

Interaction of silver nanoparticles with algae and fish cells: a side by side comparison

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer, Xiaomei Li

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely applied and can, upon use, be released into the aquatic environment. This raises concerns about potential impacts of AgNP on aquatic organisms. We here present a side by side comparison of the interaction ...

Biomed Central Ltd2017

Silver nanoparticle-protein interactions in intact rainbow trout gill cells

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

Upon contact with biota, nanoparticles can bind to proteins, which coat the nanoparticles and form a nanoparticle-protein corona. Knowledge of corona proteins is therefore important for a mechanistic understanding of how nanoparticles interact with biomole ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2016

Silver nanoparticles inhibit fish gill cell proliferation in protein-free culture medium

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

While short-term exposures of vertebrate cells, such as from fish, can be performed in defined, serum-free media, long-term cultures generally require addition of growth factors and proteins, normally supplied with a serum supplement. However, proteins are ...

Taylor & Francis Ltd2016

Silver nanoparticle toxicity and association with the alga Euglena gracilis

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer, Xiaomei Li, Laetitia Bernard

The impact of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on aquatic algae has largely been studied with model species that possess a rigid cell wall. Here, we explored the interactions of AgNPs with Euglena gracilis, a green alga having no cell wall but a pellicle. The ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2015

Toxicity of silver nanoparticles to a fish gill cell line: Role of medium composition

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer

In aqueous solutions, silver nanoparticle (AgNP) behavior is affected by a variety of factors which lead to altered AgNP size and toxicity. Our research aims to explore the effect of media composition on citrate-coated AgNP (cit-AgNP) behavior and toxicity ...

Informa Healthcare2015

Chemical Aspects of Nanoparticle Ecotoxicology

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Yang Yue, Kristin Schirmer, Hannah Inka Schug

Nanoecotoxicology strives to understand the processes and mechanisms by which engineered nanoparticles (ENP) may exert toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Detailed knowledge of the chemical reactions of nanoparticles in the media and of their interactions ...

Swiss Chemical Soc2014

Linking toxicity and adaptive responses across the transcriptome, proteome, and phenotype of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed to silver

Renata Behra, Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer

Understanding mechanistic and cellular events underlying a toxicological outcome allows the prediction of impact of environmental stressors to organisms living in different habitats. A systems-based approach aids in characterizing molecular events, and the ...

National Academy of Sciences2014

Effect of TiO2 Nanoparticles and UV Radiation on Extracellular Enzyme Activity of Intact Heterotrophic Biofilms

Laura Sigg, Kristin Schirmer, Hannah Inka Schug

When introduced into the aquatic environment, TiO2 NP are likely to settle from the water column, which results in increased exposure of benthic communities. Here, we show that the activity of two extracellular enzymes of intact heterotrophic biofilms, bet ...

Amer Chemical Soc2014

Sorption kinetics and equilibrium of the herbicide diuron to carbon nanotubes or soot in absence and presence of algae

Laura Sigg, Arnaud Magrez

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are strong sorbents for organic micropollutants, but changing environmental conditions may alter the distribution and bioavailability of the sorbed substances. Therefore, we investigated the effect of green algae (Chlorella vulgaris) ...

Elsevier Sci Ltd2014

Diuron Sorbed to Carbon Nanotubes Exhibits Enhanced Toxicity to Chlorella vulgaris

Laura Sigg, Arnaud Magrez

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are more and more likely to be present in the environment, where they, will associate with organic raicropollutants due to strong sorption. The toxic effects of these CNT-micropollutant mixtures on aquatic organisms are poorly charac ...

Amer Chemical Soc2013

Long-term colloidal stability of 10 carbon nanotube types in the absence/presence of humic acid and calcium

Laura Sigg, Arnaud Magrez, Rita Smajda

The colloidal stabilities of ten carbon nanotubes (CNTs) having varying physico-chemical properties were compared in long-term experiments. The presence of Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) increased the fraction of CNTs in the supernatants (4-88% for the v ...

Elsevier Sci Ltd2012

Influence of the initial state of carbon nanotubes on their colloidal stability under natural conditions

Laura Sigg, Arnaud Magrez

The colloidal stability of dry and suspended carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the presence of amphiphilic compounds (i.e. natural organic matter or surfactants) at environmentally realistic concentrations was investigated over several days. The suspensions were ...

2011

Are Carbon Nanotube Effects on Green Algae Caused by Shading and Agglomeration?

Laura Sigg, Arnaud Magrez

Due to growing production, carbon nanotubes (CNT) may soon be found in a broad range of products and thus in the environment. In this work, an algal growth test was developed to determine effects of pristine and oxidized CNT on the green algae Chlorella vu ...

2011

Colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plant effluents: Characterization and role in metal distribution

Laura Sigg

Colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plants was characterized and examined with respect to its role in metal distribution by using tangential flow ultrafiltration, liquid chromatography coupled with organic carbon and UV detectors, and an asy ...

Elsevier2010

Uptake of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by microalgae in presence of colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plant effluents

Laura Sigg

The present study addresses the key issue of linking the chemical speciation to the uptake of priority pollutants Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the wastewater treatment plant effluents, with emphasis on the role of the colloidal organic matter (EfOM). Binding of Cd ...

2010