Titanium dioxide is a type of nanoparticle that is composed of one titanium atom and two oxygen atoms. One of its physicochemical activities is photolysis, which produces different reactive oxygen species (ROS). Atya lanipes shrimp affect detrital processing and illustrate the potential importance of diversity and nutrient availability to the rest of the food web. It is essential in removing sediments, which have an important role in preventing eutrophication. This study aimed to determine the toxic effect of changes in behavior and levels of oxidative stress due to exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles in Atya lanipes and to determine the effective concentration (EC50) for behavioral variables. The concentrations of TiO2 NPs tested were 0.0, 0.50, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mg/L with the positive controls given 100 µg/L of titanium and 3.0 mg/L of TiO2 NPs ± 100 µg/L of titanium. After 24 h of exposure, significant hypoactivity was documented. The EC50 was determined to be a concentration of 0.14 mg/L. After the exposure to 10 mg/L of TiO2 NPs, oxidative stress in gastrointestinal and nervous tissues was documented. The toxic effects of this emerging aquatic pollutant in acute exposure conditions were characterized by sublethal effects such as behavior changes and oxidative stress.
Keywords: acute exposure; catalase; effective concentration; macroinvertebrates; nanotoxicity.