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Chronic TiO2 nanoparticle exposure to a benthic organism, Hyalella azteca: Impact of solar UV radiation and material surface coatings on toxicity
Citation:
Wallis, L., S. Diamond, H. Ma, D. Hoff, S. Al-Abed, AND S. Li. Chronic TiO2 nanoparticle exposure to a benthic organism, Hyalella azteca: Impact of solar UV radiation and material surface coatings on toxicity. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT. Elsevier BV, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 499:356-362, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
There is limited information on the chronic effects of nanomaterials to benthic organisms, and the current study aims to fill these data gaps by examining various growth endpoints (weight gain, instantaneous growth rate, and total protein content) for up to a 21 d sediment exposure. The present study examined the chronic toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) to a representative benthic species, Hyalella azteca, using an industry standard, P25, and a coated nano-TiO2 used in commercial products
Description:
The present study examined the chronic toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles (nano-TiO2) to a representative benthic species, Hyalella azteca, using an industry standard, P25, and a coated nano-TiO2 used in commercial products. There is limited information on the chronic effects of nanomaterials to benthic organisms, and the current study aims to fill these data gaps by examining various growth endpoints (weight gain, instantaneous growth rate, and total protein content) for up to a 21 d sediment exposure. Under test conditions, UV exposure was shown to be a greater cause of toxicity than nano-TiO2 exposure, indicating that different hazards need to be addressed in toxicity testing scenarios. In addition, this study showed the effectiveness of a surface coating on the stability and decreased photoactivity of the material, as the addition of an Al(OH)3 coating showed a dramatic decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, this reduced photoactivity was found to be partially restored when the coating had been degraded, leading to the need for future toxicity tests which examine the implications of weathering events on particle surface coatings.
