Behavior and Potential Impacts of Metal-Based Engineered Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environments

Abstract

The specific properties of metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) have not only led to rapidly increasing applications in various industrial and commercial products, but also caused environmental concerns due to the inevitable release of NPs and their unpredictable biological/ecological impacts. This review discusses the environmental behavior of metal-based NPs with an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms and kinetics. The focus is on knowledge gaps in the interaction of NPs with aquatic organisms, which can influence the fate, transport and toxicity of NPs in the aquatic environment. Aggregation transforms NPs into micrometer-sized clusters in the aqueous environment, whereas dissolution also alters the size distribution and surface reactivity of metal-based NPs. A unique toxicity mechanism of metal-based NPs is related to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the subsequent ROS-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, aggregation, dissolution and ROS generation could influence each other and also be influenced by many factors, including the sizes, shapes and surface charge of NPs, as well as the pH, ionic strength, natural organic matter and experimental conditions. Bioaccumulation of NPs in single organism species, such as aquatic plants, zooplankton, fish and benthos, is summarized and compared. Moreover, the trophic transfer and/or biomagnification of metal-based NPs in an aquatic ecosystem are discussed. In addition, genetic effects could result from direct or indirect interactions between DNA and NPs. Finally, several challenges facing us are put forward in the review.

Engineered nanomaterials: From their properties and applications, to their toxicity towards marine bivalves in a changing environment

“…in the digestive glands of the scallop Chlamys varia at clean sites in the Bay of Biscay, and up to 10.85 µg/g in contaminated sites, confirming that bivalves can significantly accumulate and could likely be affected by this contaminant. Few studies were conducted to evaluate the potential toxicity of CeO 2 NPs in aquatic organisms (Van Hoecke et al, 2009;Manier et al, 2011;Artells et al, 2013;Auffan et al, 2013Auffan et al, , 2014aBooth et al, 2015;Garaud et al, 2015;2016;Tella et al, 2015;Peng et al, 2017;Koehlé-Divo et al, 2018). Among them, results showed that CeO 2 NPs can act as ROS scavengers, thus protecting cells from oxidative injuries, mimicking the activity of the superoxide dismutase and catalase (Das et al, 2007;Korsvik et al, 2007;Pirmohamed et al, 2010;Ciofani et al, 2014).…”

Genotoxicity and physiological effects of CeO 2 NPs on a freshwater bivalve ( Corbicula fluminea )

“…Biological mechanisms inducing NPs genotoxicity are less clear. NPs are reported to have the ability to damage the genetic material by direct physical interactions as well as indirectly by the ROS generation (Li et al, 2013;Peng et al, 2017). In our study, the presence of NPs and ROS within tissues, even in low proportion, may be partly responsible for this genotoxicity leading to apoptosis.…”

Effects of Mixtures of Engineered Nanoparticles and Metallic Pollutants on Aquatic Organisms

“…In the environment ENPs are subject to different transformations including dissolution, agglomeration, aggregation and sedimentation, [63] which determine their stability and affect the interactions with aquatic organisms (Figure 1). The transformations of ENPs (and adsorbed metallic pollutants) strongly depend on: (i) Characteristics of ENPs (composition, size, shape, surface properties, crystal structure, etc.…”