title: Toxicity assessment of iron oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) early life stages.
abstract: Iron oxide nanoparticles have been explored recently for their beneficial applications in many biomedical areas, in environmental remediation, and in various industrial applications. However, potential risks have also been identified with the release of nanoparticles into the environment. To study the ecological effects of iron oxide nanoparticles on aquatic organisms, we used early life stages of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to examine such effects on embryonic development in this species. The results showed that ≥10 mg/L of iron oxide nanoparticles instigated developmental toxicity in these embryos, causing mortality, hatching delay, and malformation. Moreover, an early life stage test using zebrafish embryos/larvae is also discussed and recommended in this study as an effective protocol for assessing the potential toxicity of nanoparticles. This study is one of the first on developmental toxicity in fish caused by iron oxide nanoparticles in aquatic environments. The results will contribute to the current understanding of the potential ecotoxicological effects of nanoparticles and support the sustainable development of nanotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China. zhu.xiaoshan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xiaoshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shengyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000187:drug effects; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C000499:ferric oxide