The effect of natural biomolecules on yttrium oxide nanoparticles from a Daphnia magna survival rate perspective

Abstract

The attention to rare earth oxide nanoparticles (NPs), including yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃), has increased in many fields due to their unique structural characteristics and functional properties. The aim of our study was to investigate the mechanisms by which bio-corona formation on Y₂O₃ NPs affects their environmental fate and toxicity. The Y₂O₃ NPs induced toxicity to freshwater filter feeder Daphnia magna at particle concentrations of 1 and 10 mg/L, regardless of particle size. Interactions between naturally excreted biomolecules (e.g. protein, lipids, and polysaccharides) derived from D. magna, and the Y₂O₃ NPs (30–45 nm) resulted in the formation of an eco-corona, which reduced their toxic effects toward D. magna at a particle concentration of 10 mg/L. No effects were observed at lower concentrations or for the other particle sizes investigated. Copper-zinc (Cu-Zn) superoxide dismutase, apolipophorins, and vitellogenin-1 proteins proved to be the most prominent proteins of the adsorbed corona, and possibly a reason for the reduced toxicity of the 30–45 nm Y₂O₃ NPs toward D. magna.

Keywords:

• Daphnia magna
• yttrium oxide nanoparticles
• metallic nanoparticles
• natural biomolecules; biocorona

Acknowledgments

The authors also thank Dr. Ola Gustafsson at the Department of Biology, Lund University, for his dedicated help with TEM. Frida Domeij at Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, for the help with ICP-MS analysis.

Author contributions

Egle Kelpsiene: investigation, methodology, writing – original draft, review & editing. Tingru Chang: investigation, writing – review & editing. Alexander Khort: investigation, writing – review & editing. Katja Bernfur: formal analysis, writing – review & editing. Inger Odnevall: conceptualization, funding acquisition, writing – review and editing. Tommy Cedervall: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, supervision, writing – writing – review & editing. Jing Hua: investigation, methodology, writing – review and editing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by Mistra Environmental Nanosafety Program.