title: Converging hazard assessment of gold nanoparticles to aquatic organisms.
abstract: The gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are being increasingly used because of their huge diversity of applications, and consequently, elevated levels in the environment are expected. However, due to their physico-chemical properties and functionalization a high variety of Au-NPs can be found, and complete toxicological information for each type of Au-NPs still lacks, and even, the toxicological information for the same species is sometimes contradictory. Therefore, hazard assessment should be done case by case. Hence, the objective of this study was to obtain ecotoxicological information of the same Au-NPs in aquatic organisms and to find a rationale for Au-NPs toxicity. For such a purpose, bare and hyaluronic acid capped Au-NPs (12.5 nm) along with Au-NPs bulk material were tested on freshwater algae, Daphnia and zebrafish. Results showed that while gold nanoparticles were found to be harmless to the tested organisms, the soluble gold showed to be toxic to algae and Daphnia, with an LC50 between 1 and 2 mg L(-1). Comparing our results with those gathered in the literature, it appears that a common hazard assessment of Au-NPs on the studied organisms can be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Area, National Centre for Environmental Health, ISCIII Health Institute, Ctra Majadahonda-Pozuelo km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jesuspgc@isciii.es.
authors.forename: Jesús Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: García-Cambero
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Núñez García
authors.forename: Gema Díaz
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Ana López
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: Laureano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Pastrana
authors.forename: Judith Sendra
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cuadal
authors.forename: Marc Ramis
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Castelltort
authors.forename: Argelia Castaño
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Calvo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects*; D003621:Daphnia; D006046:Gold / Q000633:toxicity*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006046:Gold
keywords: Daphnia; Ecotoxicity; Gold chloride; Gold nanoparticle; Scenedesmus subspicatus; Zebrafish