Toxicity of different‐sized copper nano‐ and submicron particles and their shed copper ions to zebrafish embryos

Abstract

Three sizes of copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs; 25 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm), 1 submicron-sized particle, and Cu(NO3 )2 were added to the culture buffer of zebrafish embryos from 24 h postfertilization to 120 h postfertilization. In suspensions of Cu NPs and the Cu submicron-sized particle, the main contribution to the toxicity to zebrafish embryos was from the particle form of Cu particles (Cu NPparticle , >71%) rather than from dissolved Cu from the Cu particles (Cu NPion ). All particles tested as well as copper nitrate inhibited hatching, altered behavioral responses, and increased the incidence of malformations. Different kinds of abnormalities were observed in the morphology and behavior of the zebrafish embryos, depending on the particle size of the Cu suspensions tested. The median lethal concentrations of Cu NPparticle (25 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm), the submicron-sized particle, and copper nitrate were 0.58 mg/L, 1.65 mg/L, 1.90 mg/L, 0.35 mg/L, and 0.70 mg/L, respectively. Submicron-sized particles and copper nitrate were more toxic than Cu NPs, and smaller Cu NPs were more toxic than larger Cu NPs. Dissolution of Cu NPs and the subsequent ion toxicity was not the primary mechanism of Cu NP toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Antibacterial properties and toxicity from metallic nanomaterials

“…However, copper submicron-sized particles of 400 nm were more toxic than copper nanoparticles. 108 There is evidence of the toxic effects of CuNPs in the environment. The activity of the dissolved copper ions in the presence of micrometer-sized CuO ( Figure 5A) was less than in the presence of CuONP ( Figure 5B).…”

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“…Up to date, copper has been defined as more toxic than silver (Griffitt, Hyndman, Denslow & Barber, 2009;Bondarenko et al, 2013), but the size of nanoparticles is the main parameter determining their toxicity (Hua, Vijver, Ahmad, Richardson & Peijnenburg, 2014;Hua, Vijver, Chen, Richardson & Peijnenburg, 2016). The diameter of copper nanoparticles used in this experiment was twice lower than the diameter of silver nanoparticles, which may explain their stronger negative effect on juvenile rainbow trout.…”

A comparison of fate and toxicity of selenite, biogenically, and chemically synthesized selenium nanoparticles to zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryogenesis

“…Under normal assay conditions, zebrafish embryos hatch at approximately 72 hpf (Hua et al, 2014). Compared with the controls, the hatching rates associated with selenite and nano-Se b exposure were not significantly delayed during the 96 h exposure time (Figure 3).…”

“…Surprisingly, nano-Se cs and nano-Se cl had a different effect on hatching, but they induced comparable mortality on zebrafish embryos. Although the exact mechanisms of hatching inhibition are not known, it is possible that the mechanisms of action of lethality and of hatching inhibition by NPs on zebrafish embryos are different (Hua et al, 2014). Based on the LC 50 values (Figure 5), nano-Se b was 3.2-fold less toxic than selenite and 10-fold less toxic than nano-Se c .…”