Comparative toxicity of ionic and nanoparticulate zinc in the species Cymodoce truncata, Gammarus aequicauda and Paracentrotus lividus

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2021-08, Vol.28 (31), p.42891-42900
• Main Authors: Prato, Ermelinda, Fabbrocini, Adele, Libralato, Giovanni, Migliore, Luciana, Parlapiano, Isabella, D’Adamo, Raffaele, Rotini, Alice, Manfra, Loredana, Lofrano, Giusy, Carraturo, Federica, Trifuoggi, Marco, Biandolino, Francesca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphipoda; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological models (mathematics); Coastal environments; Cymodoce truncata; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Embryos; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Gammarus; Isopoda; Lethal effects; Macroinvertebrates; Metal Nanoparticles - toxicity; Nanoparticles; Paracentrotus; Paracentrotus lividus; Research Article; Species; Time dependence; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Zinc oxide; Zinc Oxide - toxicity; Zinc sulfate
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13712-0

Due to the continuous development, production and consumption of nanoparticles (NPs), their release, fate and effects in marine coastal environment can represent a major concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and compare it to bulk ZnSO 4 on three macroinvertebrates: the isopod Cymodoce truncata (i.e. used for the first time in ecotoxicology), the amphipod Gammarus aequicauda and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus . This study showed concentration- and time-dependent relationships for all biological models for both ZnO NPs and ZnSO 4 . Both Zn forms elicited high toxicity to G. aequicauda and C. truncata juveniles , but ZnO NPs induced comparable responses to both species (96h-LC 50 = 0.30 and 0.37 mg/L for G. aequicauda and C. truncata , respectively; p > 0.05), while differences were found after ZnSO 4 exposure (96h-LC 50 = 0.28 and 0.63 mg/L, respectively; p < 0.05). ZnO NPs generated sub-lethal effects on P. lividu s embryos (72h-EC 50 = 0.04 (0.03, 0.05) mg/L), not significantly different from ZnSO 4 ones (72h-EC 50 = 0.06 (0.05, 0.07) mg/L). Effects of ZnO NPs were similar to existing literature data for other testing species. C. truncata can be considered as a promising new biological model in (nano)ecotoxicology. Graphical abstract