title: Antioxidant enzyme activities as biomarkers of fluvial biofilm to ZnO NPs ecotoxicity and the Integrated Biomarker Responses (IBR) assessment.
abstract: The presence of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in natural waters has raised concerns about their environmental impacts, but the potential influences of ZnO NPs on fluvial biofilm have not been reported. In this study, the utility of antioxidant enzyme activities (AEA) as biomarkers of fluvial biofilm to ZnO NPs toxicity and a method that combines AEA into an index of "Integrated Biomarker Responses (IBR)" were studied. Compared with the absence of ZnO NPs, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that a large amount of ZnO NPs were adsorbed onto biofilm and these NPs exerted adverse effects on the viability of bacteria in biofilm. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with high concentrations (30 and 100mg/L) of ZnO NPs exposure reached to 184% and 244% of the control, while no cell leakage and membrane damage were observed. After exposure to ZnO NPs for 0.25 and 3 days, the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly increased, respectively. At the end of exposure period (21 days), the AEA with the presence of 1mg/L ZnO NPs exposure were comparable to the control, while most of those in high concentrations of ZnO NPs were decreased. The results of IBR showed that the biofilm can adapt to 1mg/L ZnO NPs exposure, while be seriously damaged by 30 and 100mg/L ZnO NPs after 3 and 0.25 days. IBR can be used as an appropriate evaluation system of the toxicity effects of ZnO NPs on fluvial biofim.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: pfwang2005@hhu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Peifang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lingzhan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bowen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002374:Catalase / Q000032:analysis; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000032:analysis; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000032:analysis; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity*; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D015034:Zinc Oxide
keywords: Antioxidant enzymes activities; Fluvial biofilm; Integrated Biomarker Responses; ZnO NPs