An ecotoxicological characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)

Abstract The pulp and paper industry in Canada is developing technology for the production and use of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). A key component of the developmental work is an assessment of potential environmental risks. Towards this goal, NCC samples as well as carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotoxicology 2010-09, Vol.4 (3), p.255-270
Main Authors: Kovacs, Tibor, Naish, Valerie, O'Connor, Brian, Blaise, Christian, Gagné, Francois, Hall, Lauren, Trudeau, Vance, Martel, Pierre
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Canada
Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium - toxicity
Cellulose
Cellulose - chemistry
Cellulose - toxicity
crystallinity
Cyprinidae - physiology
Daphnia
Ecotoxicology - methods
Female
fishes
Freshwater
Hepatocytes - drug effects
Industrial Waste
Male
Mutagenicity Tests - methods
nanocrystalline materials
Nanostructures - chemistry
Nanostructures - toxicity
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Oncorhynchus mykiss - anatomy & histology
Oncorhynchus mykiss - physiology
Reproduction - drug effects
Risk Assessment
toxicity
Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
yield
Zebrafish
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Summary:Abstract The pulp and paper industry in Canada is developing technology for the production and use of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). A key component of the developmental work is an assessment of potential environmental risks. Towards this goal, NCC samples as well as carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC), a surrogate of the parent cellulosic material, were subjected to an ecotoxicological evaluation. This involved toxicity tests with rainbow trout hepatocytes and nine aquatic species. The hepatocytes were most sensitive (EC20s between 10 and 200 mg/l) to NCC, although neither NCC nor CMC caused genotoxicity. In tests with the nine species, NCC affected the reproduction of the fathead minnow at (IC25) 0.29 g/l, but no other effects on endpoints such as survival and growth occurred in the other species at concentrations below 1 g/l, which was comparable to CMC. Based on this ecotoxicological characterization, NCC was found to have low toxicity potential and environmental risk.
ISSN:1743-5390
1743-5404
DOI:10.3109/17435391003628713