Effects of micronized and nano‐copper azole on marine benthic communities

Abstract

The widespread use of copper nanomaterials (CuNMs) as antibacterial and antifouling agents in consumer products increases the risk for metal contamination and adverse effects in aquatic environments. Information gaps exist on the potential toxicity of CuNMs in marine environments. We exposed field-collected marine meio- and macrobenthic communities to sediments spiked with micronized copper azole (MCA) using a novel method that brings intact benthic cores into the laboratory and exposes the organisms via surface application of sediments. Treatments included field and laboratory controls, 3 spiked sediments: low-MCA (51.9 mg/kg sediment), high-MCA (519 mg/kg sediment), and CuSO (519 mg/kg sediment). In addition, single-species acute testing was performed with both MCA and CuSO Our results indicate that meio- and macrofaunal assemblages exposed to High-MCA and CuSO treatments differed significantly from both the laboratory control and the low-MCA treatments. Differences in macrofauna were driven by decreases in 3 Podocopa ostracod species, the bivalve Gemma gemma, and the polychaetes Exogone verugera and Prionospio heterobranchia relative to the laboratory control. Differences in the meiofaunal community are largely driven by nematodes. The benthic community test results were more sensitive than the single-species test results. Findings of this investigation indicate that CuNMs represent a source of risk to marine benthic communities comparable to that of dissolved Cu. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:362-375. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

Assessing the release of copper from nanocopper‐treated and conventional copper‐treated lumber into marine waters I: Concentrations and rates

“…Although some research has been performed on the fate and effects of ENMs in the environment, and more specifically the marine environment (see Parks et al 2013Parks et al , 2014aParks et al , 2014bBaker et al 2014;Wang et al 2014aWang et al , 2014bRocha et al 2015;Canesi and Corsi 2016;Minetto et al 2016;Xiao et al 2017), very little research has been conducted on the fate and effects of copper ENMs in the marine benthic community (see Ho et al 2018).…”

Floating particles with high copper concentration in the sea-surface microlayer

“…Because most APP are expected to contain high concentrations of Cu, any suspended particles with a high Cu concentration are suspected to be APP, since this metal is predominantly used as an antifouling agent in marine environments (Parks et al 2018;Ho et al 2018). It is therefore practical to screen APP in seawater by measuring the acid-soluble Cu concentration of suspended particles.…”

Azoles for Renewable Energy Development and Wood Treatment

“…For instance, it has been established that micronized copper azole represents a source of harm to marine benthic communities comparable to that from copper salts, such as copper sulfate. There is therefore a need for better understanding of benthic community interactions when exposed to nanomaterial stress [55].…”