Application of Phytotests to Study of Environmental Safety of Biologicaly Synthetised Au and Au/ZnO Nanoparticles Using Tanacetum parthenium Extract

Due to their small sizes and high reactivity, nanoparticles have a completely different toxicity profile than larger particles, and it is difficult to predict their potential ecological impact. There is a need for broad ecotoxicological studies of nanomaterials in order to specify their environmental impact and ensure safe application of nanotechnology products. In this work, we have assessed the toxicity of Au and Au/ZnO metal nanoparticles obtained with the use of Tanacetum parthenium (herba) extract. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–VIS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In order to assess the toxicity of biologically synthesized nanoparticles, we used seeds of various plants: Lepidium sativum, Linum flavum, Zea mays, Salvia hispanica-chia, Lupinus angustifolius, Petroselinum crispum subsp. Crispum, Beta vulgaris, Phaseolus vulgaris. The in vitro phytotests showed that gold nanoparticles at a specific range of concentrations for all plants stimulated their growth. The highest growth activity was exhibited by the solution at the concentration of 0.300 mg/ml towards corn (Aw ≈ ??135?±?16) and flax (Aw ≈ ??44?±?10). Only for parsley the IC50 was determined at 0.57 mg/ml, but solutions at the concentration of 0.030 to 0.150 mg/ml also stimulated plant growth. Au/ZnO had a toxic effect at all concentrations applied in the study.