Disruption of zebrafish (Danio rerio) reproduction upon chronic exposure to TiO₂ nanoparticles.
As common engineered nanomaterials, TiO(2) nanoparticles (nTiO(2)) are usually perceived as non-toxic, and have already been widely used in many products and applications. Such a perception might have been shaped by some short-term studies that revealed no/low toxicity of nTiO(2) to cells and eco-relevant organisms. However, given the ultimate release of nTiO(2) into the aquatic environment, which can act as a sink for engineered nanoparticles, their long-term impact on the environment and human health is still a concern and deserves more research efforts. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that chronic exposure of zebrafish to 0.1 mg L(-1) nTiO(2), can significantly impair zebrafish reproduction. For instance, there was a 29.5% reduction in the cumulative number of zebrafish eggs after 13 weeks of nTiO(2) exposure. Thus, we provided timely information on indicating a serious risk of reproductive impairment of environments contaminated with low levels of nTiO(2) on aquatic organisms, leading to alterations in population dynamics and aquatic ecosystem balance, and thus warrants a careful scrutiny on toxicity assessment of nTiO(2), especially their long-term impact.
Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Jiangxin
J
Wang
Xiaoshan
X
Zhu
Xuezhi
X
Zhang
Zheng
Z
Zhao
Huan
H
Liu
Rajani
R
George
Jeanne
J
Wilson-Rawls
Yung
Y
Chang
Yongsheng
Y
Chen
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014025:Titanium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium