Sediment toxicity and bioaccumulation of nano and micron-sized aluminum oxide

Nano‐aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is used commercially in coatings and abrasives. Nano‐Al2O3 can also be generated through the oxidation of nano‐aluminum in military propellants and energetics. The purpose of the present study was to assess toxicity and bioaccumulation of nano‐Al2O3 to a variety of sedime...

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Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2010-02, Vol.29 (2), p.422-429
Main Authors: Stanley, Jacob K., Coleman, Jessica G., Weiss Jr, Charles A., Steevens, Jeffery A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
Aluminum composites
Aluminum oxide
Aluminum Oxide - pharmacokinetics
Aluminum Oxide - toxicity
Amphipoda - drug effects
Amphipoda - metabolism
Animals
Bioaccumulation
Bioassays
Comparative analysis
Corbicula - drug effects
Corbicula - metabolism
Corbicula fluminea
Geologic Sediments - analysis
Hyalella azteca
Lumbriculus variegatus
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Nano
Nanocomposites
Nanomaterials
Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles - ultrastructure
Nanostructure
Particle Size
Sand
Sediment
Sediments
Studies
Survival analysis
Toxicity
Tubifex tubifex
Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
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Summary:Nano‐aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is used commercially in coatings and abrasives. Nano‐Al2O3 can also be generated through the oxidation of nano‐aluminum in military propellants and energetics. The purpose of the present study was to assess toxicity and bioaccumulation of nano‐Al2O3 to a variety of sediment organisms (Tubifex tubifex, Hyalella azteca, Lumbriculus variegatus, and Corbicula fluminea). The bioaccumulation and toxicity of nano‐Al2O3 was compared with that of micron‐sized Al2O3 to investigate potential size‐related effects. Results of the present study show species‐specific differences in relative bioaccumulation of nano and micron‐sized Al2O3. Significant toxic effects (survival and growth) were observed in H. azteca testing, but only at high concentrations unlikely to be found in the environment. Nano‐Al2O3 was found to be more toxic than micron‐sized Al2O3 to H. azteca survival in a 14‐d study in which organisms were in direct contact with a thin layer of 625 or 2,500 mg of Al2O3 dispersed on the surface of either sediment or sand. A significant growth effect was also observed for nano but not micron‐sized Al2O3 at the highest treatment level tested (100 g/kg Al2O3) in a 10‐d H. azteca bioassay in which Al2O3 was homogenized with sediment. However, differences in measured sediment Al concentrations (micron‐sized = 55.1 [±0.6] g/kg Al; nano‐sized = 66.2 [±0.6] g/kg Al) in the nano and micron‐sized Al2O3 preclude direct comparison of the toxicity of these two treatments based on particle size. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:422–429. © 2009 SETAC
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.52