Toxicity of Silver, Zinc Oxide, and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles to Red River Crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Mesocosm Studies

Nanotechnology has become integrated in commercial, industrial and medical products, and its use has grown exponentially in the past several years. Although potential applications of nanoparticles (NPs) are numerous, concerns about their water quality, environmental, and human health impacts remain unclear. Crayfish are ubiquitous to streams and wetland habitats, are used as a food source, and inhabit areas that could be impacted by water quality issues. Numerous studies have been conducted on the toxicity of various classes of agricultural pesticides and oils to crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) as a non-target organism. However, there is little evidence published on chronic toxicity of NP to crayfish. The objective of this study was to estimate the bioaccumulation of the nanoparticles: Ag, ZnO, and TiO₂ in a mesocosm adult crayfish model. From previous experiments, we determined the following concentrations for each tank: AgNPs 20 mg/L, ZnO 50 mg/L, and TiO₂ 100 mg/L. A 0 mg/L control tank was also used. Three crayfish were removed from each tank and preserved for analysis weekly. Soil samples were taken bi-weekly. ICP-OES was used to look at the accumulation of the metals in the gill and abdominal tissues as well as the soil samples. Results indicate that bioaccumulation occurs in tissues in fluctuating trend rather than an increasing trend.