Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e46286. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046286. Epub 2012 Sep 27.
Iron oxide nanoparticles have been explored recently for their beneficial applications in many biomedical areas, in environmental remediation, and in various industrial applications. However, potential risks have also been identified with the release of nanoparticles into the environment. To study the ecological effects of iron oxide nanoparticles on aquatic organisms, we used early life stages of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to examine such effects on embryonic development in this species. The results showed that ≥10 mg/L of iron oxide nanoparticles instigated developmental toxicity in these embryos, causing mortality, hatching delay, and malformation. Moreover, an early life stage test using zebrafish embryos/larvae is also discussed and recommended in this study as an effective protocol for assessing the potential toxicity of nanoparticles. This study is one of the first on developmental toxicity in fish caused by iron oxide nanoparticles in aquatic environments. The results will contribute to the current understanding of the potential ecotoxicological effects of nanoparticles and support the sustainable development of nanotechnology.
近年来，氧化铁纳米粒子因其在许多生物医学领域、环境修复以及各种工业应用中的有益应用而受到关注。然而，纳米粒子释放到环境中也带来了潜在的风险。为了研究氧化铁纳米粒子对水生生物的生态影响，我们使用斑马鱼（Danio rerio）的早期生命阶段来研究这种物质对该物种胚胎发育的影响。结果表明，≥10 毫克/升的氧化铁纳米粒子会诱发这些胚胎的发育毒性，导致死亡率、孵化延迟和畸形。此外，本研究还讨论并推荐使用斑马鱼胚胎/幼虫的早期生命阶段测试作为评估纳米粒子潜在毒性的有效方案。这项研究是关于水生环境中氧化铁纳米粒子对鱼类发育毒性的首批研究之一。研究结果将有助于当前对纳米粒子潜在生态毒理学效应的理解，并为纳米技术的可持续发展提供支持。
