Abstract

A critical comparison of studies that have investigated tissue accumulation and toxicity of TiO2-NPs in fish is necessary to resolve inconsistencies. The present study used identical TiO2-NPs, toxicological endpoints, and fish (juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss) as previous studies that investigated waterborne and dietary toxicity of TiO2-NPs, and conducted a critical comparison of results after intravenous caudal-vein injection of 50 μg of TiO2-NPs and bulk TiO2. Injected TiO2-NPs accumulated only in kidney (94% of measured Ti) and to a lesser extent in spleen; and injected bulk TiO2 was found only in kidney. No toxicity of TiO2 was observed in kidney, spleen, or other tissues. Critical comparison of these data with previous studies indicates that dietary and waterborne exposures to TiO2-NPs do not lead to Ti accumulation in internal tissues, and previous reports of minor toxicity are inconsistent or attributable to respiratory distress resulting from gill occlusion during waterborne exposure.

DOI

10.1016/j.envpol.2013.07.001

Publication Date

2013-07-02

Publication Title

Environ Pollut

Volume

182

First Page

70

Last Page

79

Organisational Unit

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Keywords

Bioavailability, Nanoparticles, Rainbow trout, Titanium dioxide, Toxicity, Animals, Diet, Gills, Injections, Intravenous, Kidney, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Titanium, Water Pollutants, Chemical

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