Effects of aged TiO2 nanomaterial from sunscreen on Daphnia magna exposed by dietary route

Abstract

The toxicity of dietary exposure to artificially aged TiO(2) nanomaterial (T-Lite™) used in sunscreen cream was studied on D. magna. Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata cultures were contaminated with TiO(2)-residues, obtained by artificial aging. Significant association of TiO(2)-residues on algae was detected by X-ray fluorescence spectromicroscopy. A D. magna dietary chronic exposure of these contaminated algae with TiO(2)-residues was performed. X-ray chemical imaging revealed that Ti was localized only in the digestive tract of the daphnia. Chronic exposure of daphnia to by-product of aged TiO(2) nanoparticles brought by food induced low mortality but decreased growth and reproduction which can be partly related to the modification of the digestive physiology of daphnia. This study demonstrated that the assessment of the ecotoxicological impact of nanomaterials in aquatic environment should take into account the aging of these materials which can further influence their bioavailability for aquatic organisms.