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Comparative toxicity of nano ZnO and bulk ZnO towards marine algae Tetraselmis suecica and Phaeodactylum tricornutum

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Abstract

The wide use of ZnO nanoparticles in a number of products implies an increasing release into the marine environment, resulting in the need to evaluate the potential effects upon organisms, and particularly phytoplankton, being at the base of the throphic chain. To this aim, dose–response curves for the green alga Tetraselmis suecica and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum derived from the exposure to nano ZnO (100 nm) were evaluated and compared with those obtained for bulk ZnO (200 nm) and ionic zinc. The toxic effects to both algae species were reported as no observable effect concentration (NOEC) of growth inhibition and as 1, 10, and 50% effect concentrations (EC1, EC10, and EC50). The toxicity decreased in the order nano ZnO > Zn2+ > bulk ZnO. EC50 values for nano ZnO were 3.91 [3.66–4.14] mg Zn/L towards the green microalgae and 1.09 [0.96–1.57] mg Zn/L towards the diatom, indicating a higher sensitivity of P. tricornutum. The observed diverse effects can be ascribed to the interaction occurring between different algae and ZnO particles. Due to algae motility, ZnO particles were intercepted in different phases of aggregation and sedimentation processes, while algae morphology and size can influence the level of entrapment by NP aggregates.

This underlines the need to take into account the peculiarity of the biological system in the assessment of NP toxicity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Naples “Federico II, Parco Gussone 1, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy

    Jiji Li & Simona Schiavo

  2. Enea CR Portici, P. le E. Fermi, 1, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy

    Jiji Li, Simona Schiavo, Gabriella Rametta, Maria Lucia Miglietta, Vera La Ferrara & Sonia Manzo

  3. National Engineering Research Center of Maricultural Facilities of China, Zhejiang Ocean University, Haida South Road 1, 316022, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

    Jiji Li & Changwen Wu

Authors
  1. Jiji Li
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  2. Simona Schiavo
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  3. Gabriella Rametta
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  4. Maria Lucia Miglietta
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  5. Vera La Ferrara
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  6. Changwen Wu
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  7. Sonia Manzo
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Correspondence to Sonia Manzo.

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Communicated by: Markus Hecker

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Li, J., Schiavo, S., Rametta, G. et al. Comparative toxicity of nano ZnO and bulk ZnO towards marine algae Tetraselmis suecica and Phaeodactylum tricornutum . Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 6543–6553 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8343-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8343-0

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