Abstract
Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are one of most widely used nanomaterials in different products in everyday use and in industry, but very little is known about their effects on non- target cells and tissues. Terrestrial isopods were exposed to food dosed with nano-TiO2 to give final nominal concentration 1000 and 2000 µg TiO2/g dry weight of food. The effects of ingested nano-TiO2 on the model invertebrate Porcellio scaber (Isopoda, Crustacea) after short-term (3 and 7 days) and prolonged (14 and 28 days) dietary exposure was assessed by conventional toxicity measures such as feeding rate, weight change and mortality. Cell membrane destabilization was also investigated. No severe toxicity effects were observed after 3, 7, 14 or 28 days of dietary exposure to nano-TiO2, but some animals, particularly those exposed to lower concentrations of nanoparticles, had severely destabilized digestive cell membranes. It was concluded that strong destabilization of the cell membrane was sporadic, and neither concentration- nor time-related. Further research is needed to confirm this sporadic toxic effect of nanoparticles.
Highlights
During the last decade the presence of nanomaterials has increased extraordinarily, and information on their toxicity is urgently needed
We have found that after 14 days of exposure to nano-TiO2, the feeding rate of P. scaber was not significaly affected, but cell membranes were destabilized in more than 40% of the population
Scanning electron microscopy revealed the distribution of TiO2 particles applied on the lower leaf surface (Fig. 1a) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) confirmed their composition (Fig. 1b)
Summary
During the last decade the presence of nanomaterials has increased extraordinarily, and information on their toxicity is urgently needed. Nanomaterials have unique physical and chemical properties as a result of their small particle size, shape, conductivity and surface characteristics. TiO2 nanoparticles are most commonly encountered nanoparticles and as a consequence they could become a substantial environmental pollutant. Nanoparticles of TiO2 have been shown to have different types of effects in vivo (Menard et al 2011), their toxic potential appears not to be very pronounced. Many studies indicate that the effects of nanoparticles differ significantly from those of soluble pollutants. There are some indications that nanoparticles may have some nanoparticle-specific effects on biological systems
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