Lethal and sub-lethal effects of nanosized titanium dioxide particles on Hydropsyche exocellata Dufour, 1841

Abstract

Nanosized titanium dioxide particles (nTiO₂) are one of the most widely used nanoscale engineered materials. Evidence of the presence of nTiO₂ in freshwater systems has been reported by recent ecotoxicological studies, which indicated the potential toxic effects of nTiO₂ to aquatic organisms. This study aimed at exploring lethal and sub-lethal endpoints of aqueous exposure of the aquatic insect Hydropsyche exocellata Dufour, 1841 (Trichoptera, Hydropsychidae) to nTiO₂ at different concentrations. Abdominal contractions significantly increased with nTiO₂ exposure. Levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) increased with nTiO₂ dose, whereas the opposite was recorded for the antioxidant enzyme catalase activity (CAT). Moreover, the highest exposure (50.0 mg/L) resulted in the highest mortality (56% of mortality two weeks after pulse exposure to nTiO₂). Overall, our results show that nTiO₂ has potential toxic effects on H. exocellata at concentrations of 50.0 mg/L.

Keywords:

• Trichoptera
• nanoparticles
• toxicity
• image processing
• biomarkers

Additional information

Funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Program (Marie Curie Actions) of the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 600388 of REA (TECNIO spring Program) and the Agency for Competitiveness and Business of the Government of Catalonia, ACCIÓ. Biomarker work was supported by the Spanish MEC grant CTM2014-51985-R. Melissa Faria acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology Grant SFRH/BPD/78342/2011 (Programme POPH – QREN through the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science and the European Social Fund; M.F.).