Journal Article
Comparative toxicity of ionic and nanoparticulate zinc in the species Cymodoce truncata, Gammarus aequicauda and Paracentrotus lividus
Ermelinda Prato; Adele Fabbrocini; Giovanni Libralato; Luciana Migliore; Isabella Parlapiano; Raffaele D’Adamo; Alice Rotini; Loredana Manfra; Giusy Lofrano; Federica Carraturo; Marco Trifuoggi; Francesca Biandolino
Environmental Science and Pollution Research · Vol. 28, Issue 31 · pp. 42891-42900 · 2021
Abstract
Due to the continuous development, production and consumption of nanoparticles (NPs), their release, fate and effects in marine coastal environment can represent a major concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and compare it to bulk ZnSO 4 on three macroinvertebrates: the isopod Cymodoce truncata (i.e. used for the first time in ecotoxicology), the amphipod Gammarus aequicauda and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus . This study showed concentration- and time-dependent relationships for all biological models for both ZnO NPs and ZnSO 4 . Both Zn forms elicited high toxicity to G. aequicauda and C. truncata juveniles , but ZnO NPs induced comparable responses to both species (96h-LC 50 = 0.30 and 0.37 mg/L for G. aequicauda and C. truncata , respectively; p > 0.05), while differences were found after ZnSO 4 exposure (96h-LC 50 = 0.28 and 0.63 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.05). ZnO NPs generated sub-lethal effects on P. lividu s embryos (72h-EC 50 = 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) mg/L), not significantly different from ZnSO 4 ones (72h-EC 50 = 0.06 (0.05, 0.07) mg/L). Effects of ZnO NPs were similar to existing literature data for other testing species. C. truncata can be considered as a promising new biological model in (nano)ecotoxicology. Graphical abstract