Nano-toxicity and Aquatic Food Chain

Abstract

AbstractToxicity of nanoparticles in the aquatic environment is of serious concern as increasing concentration of nanoparticles potentially affects the aquatic plants and animals living in the aquatic ecosystem. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are derived from anthropogenic sources, which are highly stable and uniform in distribution. In the aquatic environment, there is an alarming situation and indefinite safety use for the ENPs. The ENPs interact with aquatic organisms at trophic levels (lower and upper levels) throughout the aquatic food chain. Advancement is rendered in the evaluation of bioaccumulation in recent years, and the transfer in trophic level of ENPs. While findings of numerous studies carried out in different locations of the world have proved the noxious consequences of nanomaterials upon the organism's in the aquatic environment as well as in what manner they impact food chain resulting in bioaccumulation, affecting marine animals’ wellbeing, development, reproduction, and physiology. We are exploring the nanotoxicity in the aquatic food chain and aquatic species, trophic transition, and biomagnification in this chapter. The critical points of the study are that ENPs are able to go up to three trophic stages in the aquatic food chain. Biomagnification of various nanoparticles (quantum dots, nAu, nCeO2 and nTiO2) fit for two trophic levels have a biomagnification ratio greater than one. Not many studies on the third trophic stage nevertheless demonstrated biomagnification. The deposition of ENPs in aquatic plants and animals has also been shown to affect physiological processes of different organisms.KeywordsAquatic systemsBioaccumulationEnvironmentNanoparticlesPhytoplanktonReactive oxygen speciesTrophic levels