Assessment of agglomeration, co-sedimentation and trophic transfer of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in a laboratory-scale predator-prey model system

• Published in: Scientific reports 2016-08, Vol.6 (1), p.31422, Article 31422
• Main Authors: Gupta, Govind Sharan, Kumar, Ashutosh, Shanker, Rishi, Dhawan, Alok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/326/171/1878; 704/172/4081; Agglomeration; Aquatic environment; Aquatic plants; E coli; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Food Chain; Food chains; Humanities and Social Sciences; Laboratories; Models, Biological; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; Nanostructures; Paramecium caudatum - metabolism; Prey; Science; Sedimentation; Sedimentation & deposition; Statistical analysis; Titanium; Titanium - metabolism; Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep31422

Nano titanium dioxide (nTiO 2 ) is the most abundantly released engineered nanomaterial (ENM) in aquatic environments. Therefore, it is prudent to assess its fate and its effects on lower trophic-level organisms in the aquatic food chain. A predator-and-prey-based laboratory microcosm was established using Paramecium caudatum and Escherichia coli to evaluate the effects of nTiO 2 . The surface interaction of nTiO 2 with E. coli significantly increased after the addition of Paramecium into the microcosm. This interaction favoured the hetero-agglomeration and co-sedimentation of nTiO 2 . The extent of nTiO 2 agglomeration under experimental conditions was as follows: combined E. coli and Paramecium > Paramecium only > E. coli only > without E. coli or Paramecium. An increase in nTiO 2 internalisation in Paramecium cells was also observed in the presence or absence of E. coli cells. These interactions and nTiO 2 internalisation in Paramecium cells induced statistically significant (p