Abstract
The increasingly widespread use of engineered nanoparticles in medical, industrial, and food applications has raised concerns regarding their potential toxicity to humans and the environment. Silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs), which have relatively low direct toxicity, have been increasingly applied in both consumer products and biomedical applications, leading to significantly higher exposure for humans and the environment. We carried out a toxicity assessment of SiO2 NPs using the common water flea D. magna by focusing on physiological and behavioral indicators such as heart rate, swimming performance, and growth. Exposure to SiO2 NPs did not produce acute or chronic toxicity at limited concentrations (<100 μg/mL), but did have statistically significant negative effects on heart rate, swimming distance, and body size. The use of fluorescein isothiocyanate in a silica matrix allowed the tracing and visualization of clear SiO2 NP accumulation in D. magna, which was confirmed by ICP-MS. Although exposure to SiO2 NPs seemed to affect cardiac and swimming performance, such end-point experiments may be insufficient to fully understand the toxicity of these nanoparticles. However, the physiological and behavioral changes shown here suggest potential adverse effects on the aquatic environment by substances previously considered nontoxic.
Highlights
Environmental Safety Group, KIST Europe Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, University of Science & Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea
The average sizes measured by diffraction light scattering (DLS) were slightly higher than those by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), but differences were negligible (Figure 1)
We found no dose-dependent fluorescence brightness, relatively strong fluorescence from exposed D. magna showed that small particles could be absorbed and accumulated through exposure
Summary
Environmental Safety Group, KIST Europe Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, University of Science & Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea. Silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs), which have relatively low direct toxicity, have been increasingly applied in both consumer products and biomedical applications, leading to significantly higher exposure for humans and the environment. ~1.5 million t of silicon nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) have been produced, making them one of the most produced nanomaterials since 2013 [4,5,6] These materials are widely used in consumer products such as ceramics, glass, medicine, and cosmetics, but have been extended to biomedical applications given their stabilization properties and low toxicity [7,8]. Given that the possibility of exposure to humans and leakage into the environment has increased significantly, their potential for environmental damage or adverse effects should be considered with respect to their interactions with living organisms. Micromachines 2021, 12, 1105 explored by in vitro and in vivo studies [9,10,11], toxicological research on environmental effects is lacking, despite growing exposure to various ecosystems
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