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Toxics
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Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity
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Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2019) | Viewed by 25175

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Willie Peijnenburg

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Interests: fate and effect assessment of nanomaterials; development and predictive models for estimation of fate and effect properties of chemical substances; implementation of bioavailability risk assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Engineering materials at the nanoscale not only bring the promise of radical technological development but also safety challenges. The effects of nanoparticles on humans and the environment are complex and vary in dependence of the intrinsic properties of the particles, the extrinsic properties of the environment, and the properties of the individual biota and ecological communities exposed. It is the aim of this Special Issue to present the current scientific progress within the field of nanoparticle toxicity assessment and the assessment of impacts of nanoparticles on biodiversity in the widest senses. Consequently, no restrictions are in place regarding, for instance, the types of nanoparticles investigated, endpoints of toxicity assessment, environmental compartment, and timescales of assessment (acute versus chronic toxicity assessment). As nanoparticle toxicity is, to a large extent, impacted by particle fate, considerations of fate assessments of particles are also of key interest.

Finally, it is to be noted that modeling of nanoparticle fate and effects is an issue that will be touched on. In this sense, both the development of models capable of predicting nanoparticle fate and toxic effects are of relevance, as well as approaches towards safer-by-design, categorization, grouping and read across of nanoparticles, as well as models allowing for extrapolation across biological species and ecological scales. After all, not all organisms and all ecosystems can be tested for harmful effects from nanomaterials and extrapolation across species, particles and types of ecosystems is therefore essential. To improve ecological realism, approaches towards assessing actual impacts on biodiversity in ‘real’ ecosystems will also be considered.

Prof. Dr. Willie Peijnenburg
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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

  • Nanoparticles
  • Nanomaterials
  • Environment
  • Toxicity
  • Fate
  • Biodiversity
  • Ecosystems
  • Modelling
  • Categorisation
  • Risk assessment

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 1575 KiB  
Article
Effects of AgNPs on the Snail Biomphalaria glabrata: Survival, Reproduction and Silver Accumulation
by Eduardo Cyrino Oliveira-Filho, Daphne Heloísa de Freitas Muniz, Esther Lima de Carvalho, Paolin Rocio Cáceres-Velez, Maria Luiza Fascineli, Ricardo Bentes Azevedo and Cesar Koppe Grisolia
Toxics 2019, 7(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7010012 - 01 Mar 2019
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3808
Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used intensively in medical and industrial applications. Environmental concerns have arisen from the potential release of this material into aquatic ecosystems. The aims of this research were to evaluate the potential accumulation of silver in the whole body of [...] Read more.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used intensively in medical and industrial applications. Environmental concerns have arisen from the potential release of this material into aquatic ecosystems. The aims of this research were to evaluate the potential accumulation of silver in the whole body of organisms and analyze the effects of AgNPs on the survival and reproduction of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Results show slow acute toxicity with a 10-day LC50 of 18.57 mg/L and an effective decrease in the eggs and egg clutches per organism exposed to tested concentrations. Based on these data, the No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) observed was <1 mg/L for snail reproduction. For silver accumulation, we observed that uptake was faster than elimination, which was very slow and still incomplete 35 days after the end of the experiment. However, the observed accumulation was not connected with a concentration/response relationship, since the amount of silver was not equivalent to a higher reproductive effect. The data observed show that AgNPs are toxic to B. glabrata, and suggest that the snail has internal mechanisms to combat the presence of Ag in its body, ensuring survival and reduced reproduction and showing that the species seems to be a potential indicator for Ag presence in contaminated aquatic ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity)
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13 pages, 2361 KiB  
Article
The Toxicity Assessment of Iron Oxide (Fe3O4) Nanoparticles on Physical and Biochemical Quality of Rainbow Trout Spermatozoon
by Mustafa Erkan Özgür, Ahmet Ulu, Sevgi Balcıoğlu, İmren Özcan, Süleyman Köytepe and Burhan Ateş
Toxics 2018, 6(4), 62; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics6040062 - 18 Oct 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4730
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of different doses (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L) of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) at 4 °C for 24 h on the kinematics of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of different doses (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L) of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) at 4 °C for 24 h on the kinematics of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) spermatozoon. Firstly, Fe3O4 NPs were prepared at about 30 nm from Iron (III) chloride, Iron (II) chloride, and NH3 via a co-precipitation synthesis technique. Then, the prepared Fe3O4 NPs were characterized by different instrumental techniques for their chemical structure, purity, morphology, surface properties, and thermal behavior. The size, microstructure, and morphology of the prepared Fe3O4 NPs were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The thermal properties of the Fe3O4 NPs were determined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis techniques. According to our results, there were statistically significant (p < 0.05) decreases in the velocities of spermatozoon after treatment with 400 mg/L Fe3O4 NPs. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significant (p < 0.05) decrease after 100 mg/L in after exposure to Fe3O4 NPs in 24 h. As the doses of Fe3O4 NPs increases, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione (tGSH) significantly (p < 0.05) increased at doses of 400 and 800 mg/L. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity)
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18 pages, 3149 KiB  
Article
Carbonate Apatite Nanoparticles-Facilitated Intracellular Delivery of siRNA(s) Targeting Calcium Ion Channels Efficiently Kills Breast Cancer Cells
by Mohammad Borhan Uddin, Balakavitha Balaravi Pillai, Kyi Kyi Tha, Maeirah Ashaie, Md. Emranul Karim and Ezharul Hoque Chowdhury
Toxics 2018, 6(3), 34; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics6030034 - 26 Jun 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4730
Abstract
Specific gene knockdown facilitated by short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a potential approach for suppressing the expression of ion channels and transporter proteins to kill breast cancer cells. The overexpression of calcium ion channels and transporter genes is seen in the MCF-7 breast [...] Read more.
Specific gene knockdown facilitated by short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a potential approach for suppressing the expression of ion channels and transporter proteins to kill breast cancer cells. The overexpression of calcium ion channels and transporter genes is seen in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Since naked siRNA is anionic and prone to nuclease-mediated degradation, it has limited permeability across the cationic cell membrane and short systemic half-life, respectively. Carbonate apatite (CA) nanoparticles were formulated, characterized, loaded with a series of siRNAs, and delivered into MCF-7 and 4T1 breast cancer cells to selectively knockdown the respective calcium and magnesium ion channels and transporters. Individual knockdown of TRPC6, TRPM7, TRPM8, SLC41A1, SLC41A2, ORAI1, ORAI3, and ATP2C1 genes showed significant reduction (p < 0.001) in cell viability depending on the cancer cell type. From a variety of combinations of siRNAs, the combination of TRPC6, TRPM8, SLC41A2, and MAGT1 siRNAs delivered via CA produced the greatest cell viability reduction, resulting in a cytotoxicity effect of 57.06 ± 3.72% (p < 0.05) and 59.83 ± 2.309% (p = 0.09) in 4T1 and MCF-7 cell lines, respectively. Some of the combinations were shown to suppress the Akt pathway in Western Blot analysis when compared to the controls. Therefore, CA-siRNA-facilitated gene knockdown in vitro holds a high prospect for deregulating cell proliferation and survival pathways through the modulation of Ca2+ signaling in breast cancer cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity)
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20 pages, 3637 KiB  
Article
Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Oxidative DNA Damage, Inflammation and Apoptosis in Rat’s Brain after Oral Exposure
by Hala Attia, Howaida Nounou and Manal Shalaby
Toxics 2018, 6(2), 29; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics6020029 - 26 May 2018
Cited by 99 | Viewed by 6336
Abstract
Growing evidences demonstrated that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) could reach the brain after oral ingestion; however, the “neurotoxicity of” ZnONPs after oral exposure has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the “neurotoxicity of” ZnONPs (<100 nm) after oral exposure to [...] Read more.
Growing evidences demonstrated that zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) could reach the brain after oral ingestion; however, the “neurotoxicity of” ZnONPs after oral exposure has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the “neurotoxicity of” ZnONPs (<100 nm) after oral exposure to two doses; 40 and 100 mg/kg for 24 h and 7 days. The exposure to 40 and 100 mg/kg of ZnONPs for 24 h did not elicit “neurotoxicity” compared to normal control. However, the daily exposure to both doses for 7 days caused oxidative stress in brain tissue as detected by the elevation of the levels of malondialdehyde, the main product of lipid peroxidation and nitrite as an index of nitric oxide with concomitant decline in the concentrations of antioxidants. In addition, both doses resulted in DNA fragmentation which was confirmed by increased percentage of tailed DNA, DNA tail intensity and length and tail moment particularly with the dose 100 mg/kg. Moreover, both doses led to the elevation of the inflammatory cytokines along with increased apoptotic markers including caspase-3 and Fas. Heat shock protein-70 levels were also elevated possibly as a compensatory mechanism to counteract the ZnONPs-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. The present results indicate the “neurotoxicity of” ZnONPs after recurrent oral exposure via oxidative stress, genotoxicity, inflammatory response and apoptosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity)
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4749 KiB  
Article
Cytotoxic, Apoptotic and Genotoxic Effects of Lipid-Based and Polymeric Nano Micelles, an In Vitro Evaluation
by Fatemeh Bahadori, Abdurrahim Kocyigit, Hayat Onyuksel, Aydan Dag and Gulacti Topcu
Toxics 2018, 6(1), 7; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics6010007 - 30 Dec 2017
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4957
Abstract
Self-assembly systems (SAS) mainly consist of micelles, and liposomes are the classes of Nano Drug Delivery Systems with superior properties compared to traditional therapeutics in targeting cancer tumors. All commercially available nano-formulations of chemotherapeutics currently consist of SAS. According to our knowledge, a [...] Read more.
Self-assembly systems (SAS) mainly consist of micelles, and liposomes are the classes of Nano Drug Delivery Systems with superior properties compared to traditional therapeutics in targeting cancer tumors. All commercially available nano-formulations of chemotherapeutics currently consist of SAS. According to our knowledge, a specific toxicity comparison based on material differences has not yet been performed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the toxicity of two SAS consisting of Sterically Stabilized Micelles (SSM) made of a lipid-based amphiphilic distearoyl-sn-glycero-phosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-2000 and a polymeric micelle (PM) consisting of Y-shape amphiphilic block copolymer, synthesized using poly ε-caprolactone and PEG. The mechanism of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of micelles on L-929 healthy mouse fibroblast cells was assessed using Sulforhodamine-B, WST-1, Acridine Orange/Ethidium Bromide and alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assays. Results showed that SSM in conc. of 40 mg/mL shows very low cytotoxicity at the end of 24, 48 and 72 h. The DNA damage caused by SSM was much lower than PM while the latter one showed significant toxicity by causing apoptosis with the ED50 value of 3 mg/mL. While the DNA damage caused by SSM was ignorable, some DNA chain breaks were detected on cells treated with PM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles Toxicity and Impacts on Biodiversity)
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