According to the US National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanoparticles are a set of solid particles with a diameter ranged from 1 to 100 nm. Numerous domains employ nanoparticles (such as industry, cosmetic, construction, medicine…) due to their specific properties.
The significant arise of nanomaterials application leads to a boost of environmental discharges and especially in aquatic systems which represent an important pollutants receptacles. Nevertheless, the lack of knowledge about the toxicity of nanomaterials can be detrimental for the aquatic ecosystems sustainability. Trophic transfer is often referred as an important pathway of nanoparticles contamination in aquatic systems being reportedly the main exposure route to organisms. Among their great variety of nature and characteristics, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, PEG coating, diameter 10nm) have been chosen as model contaminant due to their high stability in solution.
This work aims to characterize: (i) AuNPs transfer within food chain and (ii) a histological study of AuNPs damages in fish. Thereby natural river biofilms contaminated in laboratory for 48h at environmental AuNPs’ concentrations were grazed by the fish Hypostomus plecostomus during a 21-days laboratory experiment. Gold analyses (by atomic absorption spectroscopy) revealed that biofilms presented a high AuNPs retention capacity. Secondly, results point out that AuNPs were effectively transferred from natural biofilms to the grazer fish showing their ability to enter the food chain. Regarding AuNP fish distribution, organs involved in metabolism and excretion (i.e. liver and kidney) presented a significant bioaccumulation. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy observations showed tissue alterations indicating inflammatory responses for all organs studied. AuNPs appeared to be: (a) distributed by the circulatory system into fish organs without entering the erythrocytes and (b) not degraded once internalized by the fish.
To cite this abstract:
Fanny Perrier, Nathalie Mesmer-Dudons, Stéphane Mornet, Magalie Baudrimont, Olivier Simon, Agnès Feurtet-Mazel; Microscopic approach to reveal nanoparticles effects in fish. The 16th European Microscopy Congress, Lyon, France. https://emc-proceedings.com/abstract/microscopic-approach-to-reveal-nanoparticles-effects-in-fish/. Accessed: March 2, 2021« Back to The 16th European Microscopy Congress 2016
EMC Abstracts - https://emc-proceedings.com/abstract/microscopic-approach-to-reveal-nanoparticles-effects-in-fish/