Behavior and toxicity assessment of copper nanoparticles in aquatic environment: A case study on red swamp crayfish. (1st July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Li; He, Zhen; Li, Xiaoyi; Jiang, Ziqiang; Xuan, Fujun; Tang, Boping; Bian, Xunguang
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental management. Volume 313(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-01
• Subjects: Copper ions -- Crayfish -- Oxidative damage -- Risk assessment; Environmental policy -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environment -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 363.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114986
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0301-4797

Abstract

Abstract: With the wide use of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in various industrial and commercial applications, they inevitably enter the aquatic environment. However, their behavior in the aquatic environment and potential toxicity to aquatic organisms remain little known. In this study, we investigated the behavior of CuNPs in freshwater, as well as the toxicity and bioaccumulation of CuNPs and copper sulfate (CuSO4 ), used as a positive control for copper ions toxicity, in red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ). The results showed that CuNPs released copper ions into freshwater and aggregated rapidly in freshwater, and their release of copper ions and aggregation slowed down at a higher concentration of CuNPs. The calculated 72-h LC50 values for crayfish were 1.18 and 0.54 mg/L for CuNPs and CuSO4, respectively. Cu accumulation in the gill and hepatopancreas from CuSO4 treatments was significantly higher than that from CuNPs, and the highest Cu bioaccumulation level in crayfish was found in the gill, followed by hepatopancreas and muscle with the exposure of copper. The activities of the antioxidative enzymes in the crayfish significantly decreased after exposure to CuNPs for 48 h, compared to the control (without CuNPs or CuSO4 ). Histological examination revealed that there was no significant alteration of hepatopancreas in the crayfish exposed to CuNPs. Meanwhile, the growth of crayfish was not significantly inhibited by CuNPs. These results suggested that CuNPs exposure can induce oxidative stress in the crayfish, gill is the main tissue for their accumulation, and their toxicity is mainly caused by the released copper ions. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: CuNPs released copper ions into freshwater and aggregated rapidly in freshwater. Cu mainly accumulated in the gill of crayfish. There is no significant alteration of hepatopancreas in crayfish exposed to CuNPs. The toxicity of CuNPs is mainly caused by the released copper ions.