Assessment of side-effects by Ludox TMA silica nanoparticles following a dietary exposure on the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Abstract

We assessed lethal and sublethal side-effects of Ludox TMA silica nanoparticles on a terrestrial pollinator, Bombus terrestris (Linnaeus), via a dietary exposure. Dynamic light scattering analysis confirmed that silica Ludox TMA nanoparticles remained in suspension in the drinking sugar water. Exposure of bumblebee microcolonies during 7 weeks to the different nanoparticle concentrations (high: 34, 170 and 340 mg/l and low: 34 and 340 μg/l) did not cause worker mortality compared to the controls. Also no effect on the worker foraging behavior was observed after exposure to nanoparticles concentrations up to 340 μg/l. In contrast, the high concentrations (≥34 mg/l) resulted in a total loss of reproduction. Using histological analysis we confirmed severe midgut epithelial injury in intoxicated workers (≥34 mg/l). Despite the fact that these concentrations are much higher than the predicted environmental concentrations, precaution is still needed as information regarding their fate in the terrestrial environment and their potency to bioaccumulate and biomagnificate is lacking.

Keywords::

• Ludox silica nanoparticle
• pollinator
• acute toxicity
• reproduction
• histology

Declaration of interest: This research was funded by the Special Research Fund of VUB (Brussels, Belgium), the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen; Brussels, Belgium), the Belgian Science Policy Ministry (contract SD/HE/02A) and J.A.M. acknowledges the Flemish Government for long-term structural funding (Methusalem). The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.