Effect of salt concentration and exposure temperature on adhesion and cytotoxicity of positively charged nanoparticles toward yeast cells

•Toxicological effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (NPs) on yeast cells were studied.•Cells were exposed to positively charged NPs of 100-nm diameter in NaCl solutions.•Adhesion amount of NPs to a cell and cell mortality decreased with NaCl concentration.•The lower-temperature exposure reduced adhesion amount of NPs and cell mortality.•Optimal NaCl concentration was found for yeast to survive in suspensions of NPs.