Evaluation of the Toxic and Ecotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2023) | Viewed by 6811

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
INRAE, Toxalim UMR 1331 (Research Center in Food Toxicology), Toulouse University, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, 31400 Toulouse, France
Interests: ecotoxicology; nanotoxicology; gut-microbiota

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Guest Editor
UniLaSalle - Ecole des Métiers de l’Environnement, CYCLANN, Campus de Ker Lann, 35170 Bruz, France
Interests: ecotoxicology of emerging pollutants; immunotoxicity; genotoxicity; microplastics and nanomaterials toxicity; biomarkers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extensive development of new applications involving the use of nanoparticles increases human exposure and their potential release into the environment. Due to their nanoscale-related properties, nanoparticles could react with any biological compartments and trigger deleterious effects. This raises the question of the outcomes associated with their exposure and underlines the importance of carefully evaluating their potential hazards to prevent negative health outcomes and impairing the functioning of ecosystems.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue to publish relevant studies aiming to evaluate the toxic or ecotoxic potential of nanoparticles, in order to allow regulatory agencies to properly regulate the use of nanoparticles to further promote health and environmental safety.

This Special Issue is open to contributions within the field of nano-eco toxicology that emphasize the effects of various types of nanoparticles’ exposure toward relevant biological models. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Identification of (eco)toxic pathways associated with nanoparticle exposure in relevant biological models;
  • Decipher the role of physicochemical properties of nanoparticles within the (eco)toxic responses;
  • Studies promoting safe(r)-by-design approaches;
  • Novel or relevant biological models to assess the (eco)toxic potential of nanoparticles.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lauris Evariste
Dr. Messika Revel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • toxicology
  • ecotoxicology
  • engineered nanoparticle
  • risk assessment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1701 KiB  
Article
Ecological Risks of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Early Life Stages of Obscure Puffer (Takifugu obscurus)
by Shengkai Tang, Jun Wang, Xuexia Zhu and Dongdong Shen
Toxics 2024, 12(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010048 - 8 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1775
Abstract
Nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO NPs) are extensively used in various applications, and their widespread use leads to their environmental presence, particularly in wastewater treatment plant effluents, rivers, and soil. This study focuses on the obscure puffer, Takifugu obscurus, an economically important [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO NPs) are extensively used in various applications, and their widespread use leads to their environmental presence, particularly in wastewater treatment plant effluents, rivers, and soil. This study focuses on the obscure puffer, Takifugu obscurus, an economically important fish in China, aiming to assess the toxic effects of ZnO NPs on its early life stages, emphasizing the need for understanding the ecological implications of ZnO NP exposure in aquatic environments. Exposure during the hatching stage resulted in a significant decrease in hatching rates, with embryos displaying surface coating at higher ZnO NP concentrations. Newly hatched larvae experienced deformities, and post-hatching exposure led to pronounced reductions in survival rates, particularly with higher ZnO NP concentrations. Two-month-old juveniles exposed to increasing ZnO NP concentrations exhibited a consistent decline in survival rates, emphasizing concentration-dependent adverse effects. Biochemical analyses revealed elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities in various tissues, indicating oxidative stress. This study underscores the ecological risks of ZnO NP contamination in aquatic environments, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of nanoparticle exposure in aquatic ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of the Toxic and Ecotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles)
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12 pages, 1743 KiB  
Article
Effects of Digestion, Cell Culture Media, and Mucous on the Physical Properties, Cellular Effects, and Translocation of Polystyrene and Polymethacrylate Nanoparticles
by Zainab Jabor and Steven C. Sutton
Toxics 2023, 11(8), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080708 - 17 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1371
Abstract
The discovery of plastic and metal nanoparticles in organisms, foods, and beverages has generated numerous studies on the effects of these particles on the barrier cells and their subsequent absorption into the body. Following ingestion, nanoparticles travel down the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and [...] Read more.
The discovery of plastic and metal nanoparticles in organisms, foods, and beverages has generated numerous studies on the effects of these particles on the barrier cells and their subsequent absorption into the body. Following ingestion, nanoparticles travel down the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and their physicochemical characteristics change in response to the change in proteins and pH during their digestion. We measured the translocation of digested nanoparticles across a co-culture monolayer of Caco-2 and various combinations (1:9, 5:5, and 9:1) of HT29-MTX-E12. The in vitro model of the intestine was used to determine the translocation of digested 20 nm polymethacrylate (PMA) particles and the accompanying monolayer barrier effects after a 72 h exposure. The in vitro digestion increased the agglomeration and hydrodynamic diameters and decreased the surface charge of the nanoparticles. For NH2-functionalized polymethacrylate nanoparticles (PMA-NH2), the diameters increased from 57 nm (water) to 3800 nm (media), or 2660 nm (chyme). These nanoparticles compromised the integrity of the monolayer (trans-epithelial electrical resistance, Lucifer yellow translocation) and translocated across all the cell ratio configurations. Digestion can have a large effect on nanoparticle agglomeration and surface charge. Excess mucous was not seen as a barrier to the translocation of PMA-NH2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of the Toxic and Ecotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles)
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13 pages, 2106 KiB  
Article
Exposure of Midge Larvae (Chironomus riparius) to Graphene Oxide Leads to Development Alterations
by Lauris Evariste, Laura Lagier, Chloé Chary, Antoine Mottier, Stéphanie Cadarsi, Eric Pinelli, Emmanuel Flahaut, Laury Gauthier and Florence Mouchet
Toxics 2022, 10(10), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10100588 - 5 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2058
Abstract
Despite the fast-growing use and production of graphene-based nanomaterials (GBMs), data concerning their effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates are scarce. This study aims to investigate the effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the midge Chironomus riparius. Mortality, growth inhibition, development delay and [...] Read more.
Despite the fast-growing use and production of graphene-based nanomaterials (GBMs), data concerning their effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates are scarce. This study aims to investigate the effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the midge Chironomus riparius. Mortality, growth inhibition, development delay and teratogenicity, assessed using mentum deformity analysis, were investigated after a 7-day static exposure of the first instar larvae under controlled conditions. The collected data indicated that the survival rate was not impacted by GO, whereas chronic toxicity following a dose-dependent response occurred. Larval growth was affected, leading to a significant reduction in larval length (from 4.4 to 10.1%) in individuals reaching the fourth instar at any of the tested concentrations (from 0.1 to 100 mg/L). However, exposure to GO is not associated with an increased occurrence of mouthpart deformities or seriousness in larvae. These results highlight the suitability of monitoring the larval development of C. riparius as a sensitive marker of GO toxicity. The potential ecological consequences of larval size decrease need to be considered for a complete characterization of the GO-related environmental risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of the Toxic and Ecotoxic Potential of Nanoparticles)
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