Crystalline phase-dependent toxicity of aluminum oxide nanoparticles toward Daphnia magna and ecological risk assessment

Diego José Nogueira; Vitor Pereira Vaz; Oswaldo Savoldi Neto; Marlon Luiz Neves da Silva; Carmen Simioni; Luciane Cristina Ouriques; Denice Shulz Vicentini; William Gerson Matias

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2019.108987

Crystalline phase-dependent toxicity of aluminum oxide nanoparticles toward Daphnia magna and ecological risk assessment

Environ Res. 2020 Mar:182:108987. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108987. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

Authors

Diego José Nogueira¹, Vitor Pereira Vaz¹, Oswaldo Savoldi Neto¹, Marlon Luiz Neves da Silva¹, Carmen Simioni², Luciane Cristina Ouriques², Denice Shulz Vicentini¹, William Gerson Matias³

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-970, Brazil.
² Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Embryology and Genetics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, 88049-900, Brazil.
³ Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology, Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-970, Brazil. Electronic address: william.g.matias@ufsc.br.

PMID: 31812936
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108987

Abstract

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al₂O₃ NPs) can be found in different crystalline phases, and with the emergence of nanotechnology there has been a rapid increase in the demand for Al₂O₃ NPs in different engineering areas and for consumer products. However, a careful evaluation of the potential environmental and human health risks is required to assess the implications of the release of Al₂O₃ NPs into the environment. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the toxicity of two crystalline phases of Al₂O₃ NPs, alpha (α-Al₂O₃ NPs) and eta (η-Al₂O₃ NPs), toward Daphnia magna and evaluate the risk to the aquatic ecology of Al₂O₃ NPs with different crystalline phases, based on a probabilistic approach. Different techniques were used for the characterization of the Al₂O₃ NPs. The toxicity toward Daphnia magna was assessed based on multiple toxicological endpoints, and the probabilistic species sensitivity distribution (PSSD) was used to estimate the risk of Al₂O₃ NPs to the aquatic ecology. The results obtained verify the toxic potential of the NPs toward D. magna even in sublethal concentrations, with a more pronounced effect being observed for η-Al₂O₃ NPs. The toxicity is associated with an increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and deregulation of antioxidant enzymatic/non-enzymatic enzymes (CAT, SOD and GSH). In addition, changes in MDA levels were observed, indicating that D. magna was under oxidative stress. The most prominent chronic toxic effects were observed in the organisms exposed to η-Al₂O₃ NPs, since the lowest LOEC was 3.12 mg/L for all parameters, while for α-Al₂O₃ NPs the lowest LOEC was 6.25 mg/L for longevity, growth and reproduction. However, the risk assessment results indicate that, based on a probabilistic approach, Al₂O₃ NPs (alpha, gamma, delta, eta and theta) only a very limited risk to organisms in surface waters.

Keywords: Aluminum oxide; Crystalline phase; Nanoparticles; Risk assessment; Toxicity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aluminum Oxide* / toxicity
Animals
Daphnia
Humans
Metal Nanoparticles* / toxicity
Oxidative Stress
Risk Assessment
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Aluminum Oxide