Seawater quality criteria and ecotoxicity risk assessment of zinc oxide nanoparticles based on data of resident marine organisms in China

Jia-Yin Xu; P U Xin-Ming; De-Chi Lu; Yang-Yang Xing; Chen Liu; Ming Wei; Bo Wang; Jin-Fen Pan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166690

Seawater quality criteria and ecotoxicity risk assessment of zinc oxide nanoparticles based on data of resident marine organisms in China

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 20:905:166690. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166690. Epub 2023 Sep 11.

Authors

Jia-Yin Xu¹, P U Xin-Ming², De-Chi Lu¹, Yang-Yang Xing³, Chen Liu¹, Ming Wei³, Bo Wang⁴, Jin-Fen Pan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Environment and Ecology (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong 266061, China.
² Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong 266061, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong 266200, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Environment and Ecology (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China.
⁴ College of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266590, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Environment and Ecology (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266100, China; Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong 266061, China. Electronic address: jfpan@ouc.edu.cn.

PMID: 37704150
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166690

Abstract

Water quality criteria (WQC) for zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are crucial due to their extensive industrial use and potential threats to marine organisms. This study conducted toxicity tests using marine organisms in China, revealing LC₅₀ or EC₅₀ values for ZnO NPs ranging from 0.36 to 95.6 mg/L across seven species, among which the salinity lake crustacean zooplankton Artemia salina exhibited the highest resistance, while diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum the most sensitive. Additionally, the EC₁₀ or maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) values for ZnO NPs were determined for five species, ranging from 0.03 to 2.82 mg/L; medaka Oryzias melastigma demonstrated the highest tolerance, while mysis shrimp Neomysis awatschensis the most sensitive. Based on the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method, the derived short-term and long-term WQC for ZnO NPs were 138 μg/L and 8.37 μg/L, respectively. These values were further validated using the sensitive species green algae Chlorella vulgaris, confirming effective protection. There is no environmental risk observed in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow River Estuary and Laizhou Bay in the northern coastal seas of China. This study provides important reference data for the establishment of water quality standards for nanoparticles.

Keywords: Chronic toxicity; Seawater quality criteria; Species sensitivity distribution; ZnO NPs.

MeSH terms

Aquatic Organisms
China
Chlorella vulgaris*
Diatoms*
Nanoparticles* / toxicity
Risk Assessment
Seawater
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity
Zinc Oxide* / toxicity

Substances

Zinc Oxide
Water Pollutants, Chemical