title: High surface adsorption properties of carbon-based nanomaterials are responsible for mortality, swimming inhibition, and biochemical responses in Artemia salina larvae.
abstract: We investigated the effects of three different carbon-based nanomaterials on brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae. The larvae were exposed to different concentrations of carbon black, graphene oxide, and multiwall carbon nanotubes for 48 h, and observed using phase contrast and scanning electron microscopy. Acute (mortality) and behavioural (swimming speed alteration) responses and cholinesterase, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase enzyme activities were evaluated. These nanomaterials were ingested and concentrated in the gut, and attached onto the body surface of the A. salina larvae. This attachment was responsible for concentration-dependent inhibition of larval swimming, and partly for alterations in the enzyme activities, that differed according to the type of tested nanomaterials. No lethal effects were observed up to 0.5mg/mL carbon black and 0.1mg/mL multiwall carbon nanotubes, while graphene oxide showed a threshold whereby it had no effects at 0.6 mg/mL, and more than 90% mortality at 0.7 mg/mL. Risk quotients calculated on the basis of predicted environmental concentrations indicate that carbon black and multiwall carbon nanotubes currently do not pose a serious risk to the marine environment, however if uncontrolled release of nanomaterials continues, this scenario can rapidly change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: tina.mesaric84@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mesarič
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: chiara.gambardella@ge.ismar.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gambardella
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: milivojevictamara@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Milivojević
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: marco.faimali@ismar.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faimali
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Centre of Excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CO Nanocentre), Ljubljana, Slovenia; Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials and Technologies for the Future (CO NAMASTE), Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: damjana.drobne@bf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Damjana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drobne
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: carlafalugi@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falugi
authors.affiliation: Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: darko.makovec@ijs.si.
authors.forename: Darko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Makovec
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: anita.jemec@bf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jemec
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: kristina.sepcic@bf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sepčić
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D053260:Soot / Q000633:toxicity; D013550:Swimming; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010087:Oxides; D053260:Soot; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon; D006108:Graphite; D002374:Catalase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D002802:Cholinesterases
keywords: Biochemical biomarkers; Carbon-based nanomaterials; Mortality; Swimming inhibition