Effects of copper nanoparticles on the development of zebrafish embryos.
The environmental behavior and the potential toxicity of copper nanoparticles (nano-Cu) in water are major concerns for assessing their environmental safety. The present study was undertaken to characterize the properties of nano-Cu in E3 medium, such as size changes, solubility, zeta-potential and pH, and to test the toxicity of nano-Cu suspension to zebrafish embryos. Dynamic light scattering and solubility experiments showed that three components coexisted in the nano-Cu exposure system, including small nano-Cu aggregates still suspended in E3 medium, large nano-Cu aggregates deposited on the container bottom and dissolved copper species (Cu(dis)). Both the zeta-potential of nano-Cu particles in E3 medium and the pH of the nano-Cu suspension showed no change during a 24 hour period. It is found that nano-Cu retarded the hatching of zebrafish embryos and caused morphological malformation of the larvae, and high concentrations (>0.1 mg/L) of nano-Cu even killed the gastrula-stage zebrafish embryos. Cu2+ ions were used to study the toxicity caused by nano-Cu dissolution. The embryo toxicity of nano-Cu at 0.01 and 0.05 mg/L showed no significant difference from Cu2+ at the corresponding concentrations (0.006 and 0.03 mg/L), but 0.1 mg/L nano-Cu had a greater toxicity than 0.06 mg/L Cu2+.
CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, P.O. Box 918, Beijing 100049, China.
Wei
W
Bai
Wenjing
W
Tian
Zhiyong
Z
Zhang
Xiao
X
He
Yuhui
Y
Ma
Nianqing
N
Liu
Zhifang
Z
Chai
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008027:Light; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012995:Solubility; D013499:Surface Properties; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology*
D003300:Copper