Abstract
Effects of binary mixtures of six metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs; 54 combinations) on the activities of seed germination and bacterial bioluminescence were investigated using the theory of probability. The observed toxicities of various NPs combinations were compared with the theoretically expected toxicities, calculated based on individual NPs toxicities. Different sensitivities were observed depending on the concentrations and the types of NPs. The synergistic mode (67%; observed toxicity greater than expected toxicity) was predominantly observed in the bioluminescence test, whereas both synergistic (47%) and additive (50%) modes were prevalent in the activity of seed germination. With regard to overall analysis, a slightly high percentage (56%) of the synergistic mode of action was (30 out of 54 binary mixture combinations; p < 0.0392) observed. These results suggest that the exposure of an NPs mixture in the environment may lead to a similar or higher toxicity level than the sum of its constituent NPs would suggest. In addition, one organism for assessment did not always show same results as those from a different assessment. Therefore, combining results of different organisms exposed to a wide range of concentrations of binary mixture will more properly predict and evaluate the expected ecotoxicity of pollutants on environments.
Highlights
These days, many nanoparticles (NPs) products are available in the areas of textiles, electronics, medical devices, cosmetics, environmental treatment processes, etc. [1]
A mixture of 200 mg/L CuO and 1.5 mg/L ZnO resulted in a bioluminescence value of 261 relative light units (RLU), which is approximately 2.4 times lower than that of a mixture of 200 mg/L CuO and 0.5 mg/L ZnO
The goal of this study to identify the possible toxic effects of NPs mixtures in two different test organisms was investigated based on the theory of probability
Summary
These days, many nanoparticles (NPs) products are available in the areas of textiles, electronics, medical devices, cosmetics, environmental treatment processes, etc. [1]. NPs are generally classified into carbon-based, metal-based, dendrimers, and composite materials [3]. The detection and quantification of NPs are very difficult tasks in complex environmental systems [4]. Metal- and carbon-based NPs are relatively common and are frequently studied. Some studies reported the toxicity of TiO2 and ZnO NPs to crustaceans, microalgae, and bacteria [7,8]. Regarding the NPs of Ag, Pt, and carbon nanotubes, several reports have been published on the toxicity to bacteria or terrestrial animals [9,10]. The understandings of the toxicity mechanism varied depending on the specific NPs and with the study; toxicological effects of NPs may depend on the test method and their specific properties, such as size, surface characteristics, reactivity, optical sensitivity, etc. The understandings of the toxicity mechanism varied depending on the specific NPs and with the study; toxicological effects of NPs may depend on the test method and their specific properties, such as size, surface characteristics, reactivity, optical sensitivity, etc. [11,12,13,14,15]
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