The combined toxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and bisphenol A on zebrafish embryos

Abstract

Environmental pollutants co-exist and exhibit interaction effects that are different from those associated with a single pollutant. As one of the more commonly manufactured nanomaterials, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) are most likely to bind to other contaminants in water. In this paper, we aimed to study the combined toxicological effects of TiO2-NPs and bisphenol A (BPA) on organism. First, in vitro adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the adsorptive interaction between TiO2-NPs and BPA. Second, zebrafish embryo toxicity tests were performed to monitor for changes in the toxicological effects associated with the two chemicals. The study results demonstrated that adsorptive interactions exist between the two chemicals and increased toxicity effects which included an advanced toxicological effect time, decreased survival, increased morphological abnormalities, and delayed embryo hatching. Also, we suggest that the mode of combined action has a synergistic effect. Based on this, we postulate that concomitant exposure to TiO2-NPs and BPA increased BPA bioavailability and uptake into cells and organisms. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms of interactions of this mixture.

Morphometric characteristics and time to hatch as efficacious indicators for potential nanotoxicity assay in zebrafish

“…A bent trunk was the only nTiO 2 -induced abnormality observed in the present study, consistent with Yan et al (2014) who reported no significant morphological abnormality in zebrafish embryos exposed to nTiO 2 suspensions of different concentrations. In earlier studies other types of nTiO 2 -induced morphological abnormalities have been reported (Yeo and Kang 2009;Yeo and Kim 2010;He et al 2014;Wang et al 2014;Yan et al 2014). The variations in nTiO 2 -induced morphological responses observed in different studies can be attributed to the characteristics of the nanoparticles (Lovern and Klaper 2006;Zhu et al 2009;Wiesner et al 2006), dispersant (Pettibone et al 2008;French et al 2009;Truong et al 2012), as well as exposure protocol (Federici et al 2007).…”

“…nTiO 2 -induced morphological variation among treatmentsWe detected a concentration-dependent nTiO 2 precipitation on the embryos within 34 h of exposure(Figure 2a-h), consistent withBai et al (2010),Paterson et al (2011), andYan et al (2014).…”

“…This concentration range 1) includes the median lethal concentration (LC50) for 96-h acute fish toxicity and the median effect concentration in the fish embryo test for 73 chemicals (Lammer et al 2009), 2) includes the predicted realistic and high emission environmental concentrations for nano-nTiO 2 in water (0.0007 and 0.016 mg/ mL, respectively; Mueller and Nowack 2008), and 3) extends both below and above the concentration range of prior studies of zebrafish exposed to waterborne nTiO 2 (Clemente et al 2014;Wang et al 2014;Yan et al 2014). This concentration range 1) includes the median lethal concentration (LC50) for 96-h acute fish toxicity and the median effect concentration in the fish embryo test for 73 chemicals (Lammer et al 2009), 2) includes the predicted realistic and high emission environmental concentrations for nano-nTiO 2 in water (0.0007 and 0.016 mg/ mL, respectively; Mueller and Nowack 2008), and 3) extends both below and above the concentration range of prior studies of zebrafish exposed to waterborne nTiO 2 (Clemente et al 2014;Wang et al 2014;Yan et al 2014).…”

Determination of TiO2 and AgTiO2 Nanoparticles in Artemia salina: Toxicity, Morphological Changes, Uptake and Depuration

“…NPs-exposed nauplii displayed enlarged intestines, eye shrinkage, paling of the eye, changes in the shape of the eye socket and deformations in the outer shell. Similar to the present study, NPs-exposed zebra fish showed some anomalies based on dosage (Yan et al 2014).…”

Interactive effects of nanoparticles with other contaminants in aquatic organisms: Friend or foe?

“…Co-exposure to nTiO 2 (0.1 mg/L) and the polybrominated diphenyl ether BDE-209, increased BDE-209 bioavailability and metabolism, altered thyroid hormones levels, gene and protein expression levels and larval locomotor behavior, indicating thyroid endocrine disruption and developmental neurotoxicity . Adsorptive interactions between n-TiO 2 and Bisphenol A (BPA) (both at mg/L concentrations) have been demonstrated, leading to increased toxicity in the embryo only at certain combinations of the two contaminants (Yan et al, 2014). With regards to marine organisms, in the ark shell Scapharca subcrenata, enhanced uptake of phenanthrene by clams was recently observed in the presence of n-TiO 2 (Tian et al, 2014).…”