Investigation of ZnO nanoparticles' ecotoxicological effects towards different soil organisms.
BACKGROUND
Nanomaterials have widespread applications in several industrial sectors. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are among the most commonly used metal oxide NPs in personal care products, coating and paints. However, their potential toxicological impact on the environment is largely unexplored.


METHODS
The aim of this work was to evaluate whether ZnO nanoparticles exert toxic and genotoxic effects upon terrestrial organisms: plants (Lepidium sativum, Vicia faba), crustaceans (Heterocyipris incongruens), insects (Folsomia candida). To achieve this purpose, organisms pertaining to different trophic levels of the soil ecosystem have been exposed to ZnO NPs. In parallel, the selected soil organisms have been exposed to the same amount of Zn in its ionic form (Zn(2+)) and the effects have been compared.


RESULTS
The most conspicuous effect, among the test battery organisms, was obtained with the ostracod H. incongruens, which was observed to be the most sensitive organism to ZnO NPs. The root elongation of L. sativum was also mainly affected by exposure to ZnO NPs with respect to ZnCl(2), while collembolan reproduction test produced similar results for both Zn compounds. Slight genotoxic effects with V. faba micronucleus test were observed with both soils.


CONCLUSIONS
Nanostructured ZnO seems to exert a higher toxic effect in insoluble form towards different terrestrial organisms with respect to similar amounts of zinc in ionic form.
ENEA Research Centre Portici, UTTP ChiA, Napoli, Italy. sonia.manzo@enea.it
Sonia
S
Manzo
Annamaria
A
Rocco
Rita
R
Carotenuto
Fabiano De Luca
Fde L
Picione
Maria Lucia
ML
Miglietta
Gabriella
G
Rametta
Girolamo
G
Di Francia
D000818:Animals; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects*; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D020387:Food Chain; D007313:Insecta / Q000187:drug effects*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D015034:Zinc Oxide