Evaluation of the environmental impact of magnetic nanostructured materials at different trophic levels

Abstract

Safety on the use of magnetic nanomaterials (MNMs) has become an active topic of research given all the recent applications of these materials in various fields. It is known that the toxicity of MNMs depends on size, shape, and surface functionalization. In this study, we evaluate the biocompatibility with different aquatic organisms of engineered MNMs-CIT with excellent aqueous dispersion and long-term colloidal stability. Primary producers (the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), primary consumers (the rotifer Lecane papuana), and predators (the fish, Danio rerio) interacted with these materials in acute and sub-chronic toxicity tests. Our results indicate that P. subcaptita was the most sensitive taxon to MNMs-CIT. Inhibition of their population growth (IC₅₀ = 22.84 mg L⁻¹) elicited cell malformations and increased the content of photosynthetic pigments, likely due to inhibition of cell division (as demonstrated in AFM analysis). For L. papuana, the acute exposure to MNMs shows no significant mortality. However, adverse effects such as decreased rate of population and altered swimming patterns arise after chronic interaction with MNMs. For D. rerio organisms on early life stages, their exposure to MNMs results in delayed hatching of eggs, diminished survival of larvae, altered energy resources allocation (measured as the content of total carbohydrates, lipids, and protein), and increased glucose demand. As to our knowledge, this is the first study that includes three different trophic levels to assess the effect of MNMs in aquatic organisms; furthermore, we demonstrated that these MNMs pose hazards on aquatic food webs at low concentrations (few mgL⁻¹).

Keywords:

• Magnetic-NPs
• microalgae
• rotifers
• zebrafish embryos
• toxicity

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Dr. David Masuoka Ito. The authors also aknowledge Dra. Catalina Ester Haro Pérez (from the Departamento de Ciencias Basicas at Universidad Autonoma Medtropolitana, Unidad Azcapotzalco) for DLS characterization and CCAPAMA (Comisión Ciudadana de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado del Municipio de Aguascalientes) for AAS analyses.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the support of CONACyT [299078], Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes [PIT-16-1]. RCVG [SNI 163156] and ALCH [SNI 163173] acknowledge a postdoctoral scholarship from CONACyT.