Metal nanoparticles production rate and its applications have raised concerns about their release and toxicity to the aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The primary size of Copper Oxide nanoparticles (CuO NP's) was found to be 114 ± 36 nm using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and a significant increase in the hydrodynamic diameter of CuO NP was seen within 1 h of interaction. The median lethal concentration (LC50) values obtained from the acute toxicity studies on different life stages of Artemia salina was found to be 61.4, 35, 12.2 and 175.2 mg/L for 1d, 2d, 7d old and adult, respectively. The toxicity associated changes in biochemical markers such as Catalase, Reduced glutathione and Glutathione-S-Transferase were evident. The accumulation of Cu nanoparticles into the gut of Artemia salina was the major reason for toxicity. This study demonstrate the toxicity of CuO NPs to Artemia salina, and the obtained results necessitate the detailed investigation on the possible eco-toxicological implication of these nanomaterials. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Chandra Sekaran N

Centre for Nanobiotechnology

Vellore Campus

Amitava Mukherjee

Madhav M.R

David S.E.M

Kumar R.S.S

Swathy J.S

Bhuvaneshwari M

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology

The increasing load of nanoplastic pollution in the environment has become a major concern toward human and environmental safety. The current investigation mainly focused on assessing the toxic behavior of nanoplastics (polystyrene nano-spheres (PNS)) toward blood cells and marine crustacean. The study also investigated the temporal stability of PNS under different water matrices and its size-dependent sedimentation behavior in the sea water dispersion. The nano-dispersion showed mean particle size of 561.4 ± 0.80 and 613.7 ± 0.11 nm for PNS 1 and 781.4 ± 0.80 and 913.7 ± 0.11 nm for PNS 2 in lake and seawater, respectively after 48-h incubation, which is ~ 8-fold increase from its original size. The LC50 value against Artemia salina and lymphocytes were found to be 4.82 and 8.79 μg/mL, and 75 μg/mL, respectively for PNS 1 and PNS 2. The genotoxic study reveals that around 50% of lymphocytes were affected by both PNS at 50 μg/mL concentration, whereas the cytotoxic studies on RBC and lymphocytes showed 50% toxicity only at 100 μg/mL concentration. The genotoxic study displayed numerous tri- and multi-nucleated cells. The biochemical profile of A. salina exposed to lethal concentration demonstrated a significant decrease in the total protein, reduced glutathione, and catalase activity and increase in lipid peroxidation activity as a result of PNS permeation to tissues. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the polystyrene nano-spheres are emerging pollutant in the environment and are hazardous to humans. © 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Distinctive impact of polystyrene nano-spherules as an emergent pollutant toward the environment

The development of resistance to antimicrobial agents has been the major concern in the aquaculture industry. Essential oil nanoemulsions can be an effective alternative to the synthetic antimicrobial compounds, as they are efficient and safer to the environment. This study deals with the formulation, characterisation, application and biosafety of the black pepper oil nanoemulsion prepared using high-pressure homogenization method. A stable formulation of black pepper oil nanoemulsion was obtained with the oil and surfactant (Tween 80) ratio of 1:2. The mean droplet size and polydispersity index of the nanoemulsion was found to be 30.3 ± 2 nm and 0.21 respectively. The antibacterial activity of the black pepper oil nanoemulsion against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as studied by microbroth dilution method was found to be 0.234 μl/ml. SEM analysis of the nanoemulsion treated bacterial cells showed significant membrane damage and the results were corroborative with the cell membrane integrity study. The MIC of black pepper oil nanoemulsion was found to be very effective in inhibiting the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa (0.234 μl/ml) as evident from the Congo red dye reduction assay. Further the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of the black pepper oil nanoemulsion was tested on the shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and the MIC value of (0.234 μl/ml) was found effective in controlling the bacterial infection. Biosafety studies of blackpepper oil nanoemulsion on Artemia salina reveals the nontoxic nature of formulated nanoemulsion. The above findings envisage that black pepper oil nanoemulsion can be used as a potent antimicrobial agent for the control of bacterial infections in aquaculture industry. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Aquaculture

Antimicrobial potency of high-energy emulsified black pepper oil nanoemulsion against aquaculture pathogen

In the present study, the toxicity of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was evaluated on various trophic organisms. Bacteria, algae, cell line, and mice were used as models representing different trophic levels. Two different sizes (CIT30 and CIT40) and surface-capped (CIT30–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-capped) Au NPs were selected. CIT30 Au NP aggregated more rapidly than CIT40 Au NP, while an additional capping of PVP (CIT30–PVP&nbsp;capped Au NP) was found to enhance its stability in sterile lake water medium. Interestingly, all the forms of NPs evaluated were stable in the cell culture medium during the exposure period. Size- and dose-dependent cytotoxicities were observed in both bacteria and algae, with a strong dependence on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. CIT30–PVP&nbsp;capped Au NP showed a significant decrease in toxicity compared to CIT30 Au NP in bacteria and algae. In the SiHa cell line, dose- and exposure-dependent decline in cell viability were noted for all three types of Au NPs. In mice, the induction of DNA damage was size and dose dependent, and surface functionalization with PVP reduced the toxic effects of CIT30 Au NP. The exposure to CIT30, CIT40, and CIT30–PVP&nbsp;capped Au NPs caused an alteration of the oxidative stress-related endpoints in mice hepatocytes. The toxic effects of the gold nanoparticles were found to vary in diverse test systems, accentuating the importance of size and surface functionalization at different trophic levels. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Surface capping and size-dependent toxicity of gold nanoparticles on different trophic levels

The ever increasing industrial and consumer applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) raise concern over the possible risk associated with their environmental exposure. Still, the knowledge regarding nanoparticle behavior in a freshwater ecosystem is lacking. The current study focuses on the toxicity of TiO2 NPs towards Ceriodaphnia dubia (a dominant daphnid isolated from the freshwater) under two different conditions; (1) light and dark photoperiod (16:8 h) and (2) continuous dark conditions, for a period of 48 h. An increase in toxicity was observed with an increase in the concentration, until a certain threshold level (under both photoperiod and dark conditions), and beyond which, reduction was noted. The decrease in toxicity would have resulted from the aggregation and settling of NPs, making them less bioavailable. The oxidative stress was one of the major contributors towards cytotoxicity under both photoperiod and dark conditions. The slow depuration of TiO2 NPs under the photoperiod conditions confirmed a higher NP bioaccumulation and thus a higher bioconcentration factor (BCF) compared to dark conditions. The transmission electron micrographs confirmed the bioaccumulation of NPs and damage of tissues in the gut lining. © 2013 Dalai et al.

Fulltext

PLoS ONE

Acute Toxicity of TiO2 Nanoparticles to Ceriodaphnia dubia under Visible Light and Dark Conditions in a Freshwater System

Fish, Early-Life Stage (FELS) Toxicity Test (OECD TG 210)

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution

Toxicity of Engineered Nickel Oxide and Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles to Artemia salina in Seawater

Toxicity and accumulation of Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles in different life stages of Artemia salina

Journal	Data powered by TypesetEnvironmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Publisher	Data powered by TypesetElsevier BV
ISSN	1382-6689
Open Access	0