title: Effects of alginate on stability and ecotoxicity of nano-TiO2 in artificial seawater.
abstract: The large-scale use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO₂) in consumer and industrial applications raised environmental health and safety concerns. Potentially impacted ecosystems include estuarine and coastal organisms. Results from ecotoxicological studies with nano-TiO₂ dispersed in salt exposure media are difficult to interpret due to fast flocculation and sedimentation phenomena affecting the dispersion stability. The goal of this study was to investigate the stabilisation effect of alginate on uncoated nano-Ti₂2 in artificial seawater dispersions used in ecotoxicity bioassays. The most effective stabilisation was obtained at alginate concentration of 0.45 g/L after sonicating dispersions for 20 min (100 W). The size distribution remained constant after re-suspension, indicating that no agglomeration occurred after deposition. Ecotoxicity tests on Artemia franciscana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum did not show any adverse effects related to the presence of alginate in the exposure media, and provided evidence on possible reduced bioavailability of nano-TiO₂. The suitable concentration of alginate is recommended to occur on a case-by-case basis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Callegaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Minetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pojana
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bilanicová
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Libralato
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpi Ghirardini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Kemivägen 4, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassellöv
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, University Ca' Foscari Venice, Calle Larga Santa Marta, 2137/b, I-30121 Venice, Italy. Electronic address: marcom@unive.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcomini
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia; D017377:Diatoms; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012623:Seawater; D013535:Suspensions / Q000737:chemistry; D014025:Titanium / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D013535:Suspensions; C009495:titanium dioxide; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Alginate; Artificial seawater; Marine ecotoxicology; Nano-TiO(2); Stabilisation