Chronic toxicity of double-walled carbon nanotubes to three marine organisms: influence of different dispersion methods. (August 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kwok, Kevin WH; Leung, Kenneth MY; Flahaut, Emmanuel; Cheng, Jinping; Cheng, Shuk Han
• Is Part Of: Nanomedicine. Volume 5:Number 6(2010)
• Page Start: 951
• Page End: 961
• Publication Date: 2010-08
• Subjects: ecotoxicity -- growth inhibition -- marine environment -- nanomaterials -- population effect; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Medical technology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Therapeutic use -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.2217/nnm.10.59
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-5889

Abstract

Aim: Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) are found in a variety of consumer products, but there are no ecotoxicity data of DWNTs into marine organisms.Materials & methods: Chronic toxicity of DWNTs was investigated with the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, copepod Tigriopus japonicus and medaka Oryzias melastigma . DWNTs were dispersed using sonication (so-DWNTs) and stirring (st-DWNTs) for comparison.Results: The median aggregation size (0.89 µm 2 ) of so-DWNTs was smaller than that of st-DWNTs (21.8 µm 2 ). Exposure to DWNTs led to growth inhibition of T. pseudonana with EC50 s of 1.86 and 22.7 mg/l for so- and st-DWNTs, respectively. Population growth of T. japonicus was reduced to 0.1 mg/l for so-DWNTs and 10 mg/l for st-DWNTs. Growth inhibition in O. melastigma was observed at 10 mg/l for so-DWNTs but not for st-DWNTs.Conclusion: Given that so-DWNTs are consistently significantly more toxic than st-DWNTs, dispersion method and size of aggregations should be considered in DWNT toxicity testing.