Chronic effects of wastewater-borne silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Richard Zeumer; Victor Galhano; Marta S Monteiro; Sebastian Kuehr; Burkhard Knopf; Boris Meisterjahn; Amadeu M V M Soares; Susana Loureiro; Isabel Lopes; Christian Schlechtriem

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137974

Chronic effects of wastewater-borne silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Jun 25:723:137974. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137974. Epub 2020 Mar 18.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department Bioaccumulation and Animal Metabolism, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: richard.zeumer@htw-dresden.de.
² Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: vgalhano@ua.pt.
³ Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: mmonteiro@ua.pt.
⁴ Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department Bioaccumulation and Animal Metabolism, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57068 Siegen, Germany. Electronic address: sebastian.kuehr@ime.fraunhofer.de.
⁵ Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department Bioaccumulation and Animal Metabolism, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany. Electronic address: burkhard.knopf@ime.fraunhofer.de.
⁶ Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department Bioaccumulation and Animal Metabolism, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany. Electronic address: boris.meisterjahn@ime.fraunhofer.de.
⁷ Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: asoares@ua.pt.
⁸ Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: sloureiro@ua.pt.
⁹ Department of Biology & Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: ilopes@ua.pt.
¹⁰ Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Department Bioaccumulation and Animal Metabolism, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: christian.schlechtriem@ime.fraunhofer.de.

PMID: 32229380
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137974

Abstract

Even though nanoparticles (NPs) are mostly removed by wastewater treatment plants, wastewater-borne NPs may show an altered toxicity to aquatic organisms. The main objectives of this work were: i) to assess the chronic (28 days) effects of wastewater-borne NPs of silver (AgNPs, 1.4-36.2 μg L^-1) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂NPs, 3.1-50.2 μg L^-1) at the individual (growth) and biochemical (biomarkers of neurotoxicity, oxidative stress and energy metabolism) levels in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss; and ii) to compare them with their effluent-supplemented and water-dispersed counterparts. The total Ag and Ti levels were determined in several fish organs. The growth of O. mykiss was not affected by the NPs in any treatment, except a 29% increase at 5.5 μg L^-1 of total Ag supplemented to effluents. The Ag level in organs of O. mykiss was significantly higher after exposure to water-dispersed AgNPs than their wastewater-borne or effluent-supplemented counterparts. No significant Ti uptake could be observed. Effluent-supplemented TiO₂NPs (50.1 μg L^-1 Ti) potentially induced neurotoxic effects, indicated by a 24% increase in acetylcholinesterase activity comparatively to controls. Energy reserves were unaffected by TiO₂ treatments, while nearly all AgNP-containing treatments caused a depletion of total lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in the muscle, suggesting an increased energy demand for detoxification processes to cope with AgNPs. Besides NPs, the effluent matrix and dispersing agent (for AgNPs) induced significant effects on energetic reserves and oxidative stress, indicating background toxicity of both treatments at the biochemical level. Our study is the first to assess chronic effects of wastewater-borne NPs on rainbow trout. While no effects were found at the individual level, several biochemical markers were changed by the NPs exposure. Our results highlight the importance of using complex matrices for a reliable risk assessment of NPs in the aquatic environment.

Keywords: AgNPs; Biochemical markers; Fish; Growth inhibition; TiO(2)NPs; WWTP effluent.

MeSH terms

Animals
Gills / chemistry
Metal Nanoparticles*
Oncorhynchus mykiss*
Silver
Titanium
Wastewater
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Waste Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
titanium dioxide
Silver
Titanium