Abstract

The review summarizes the recent data on the toxic effect that engineered metal nanoparticles (NPs) and their oxides (Ag, Au, Cu, CuO, zero-valent iron, TiO₂, and ZnO) exert on marine organisms of various taxonomic groups. Toxicity is considered with due regard of the size effects and physicochemical properties of NPs. Available data indicate that metallic NPs may adversely affect algae, bacteria, mollusks, worms, arthropods, echinoderms, chordates, etc. Toxic effects vary from reproductive disorders to death. Only scarce data are available on the NP effect on marine vertebrates (e.g., marine fish). The factors that affect the NP toxicity in an aqueous environment include the physicochemical properties of NPs, species specificities of the test organism, and parameters of the aqueous environment (in particular, salinity, temperature and pH). Exact relationships between the factors and NP toxicity are still poorly understood. In particular, there is no consensus on how salinity affects the NP toxicity in an aqueous environment. Putative mechanisms of NP toxicity include oxidative stress, impaired cell membrane integrity, inflammatory processes with consequent cell dysfunction, DNA damage, and genetic mutations. NPs easily persist within organisms and consequently have a high potential to accumulate in marine food chains. Lack of standardized techniques to detect metallic and metal oxide NPs and weak or absent relevant legislation complicate toxicology studies in marine ecosystems. The above circumstances make it necessary to further evaluate the safety of metallic NPs for marine organisms and especially vertebrates, to study the distant effects associated with NP transition and accumulation in marine food chains, and to unify the respective research protocols. The exact role of environmental factors in modulating NP toxicity and the mechanisms of NP toxicity are also important issues to address in future studies.

中文翻译：

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金属基纳米材料对海洋生态系统代表的毒性作用：综述

摘要

该综述总结了工程金属纳米粒子 (NPs) 及其氧化物（Ag、Au、Cu、CuO、零价铁、TiO ₂, 和 ZnO) 对各种分类群的海洋生物产生影响。毒性被认为是适当考虑到 NPs 的尺寸效应和物理化学性质。现有数据表明，金属纳米颗粒可能会对藻类、细菌、软体动物、蠕虫、节肢动物、棘皮动物、脊索动物等产生不利影响。毒性影响从生殖障碍到死亡不等。关于 NP 对海洋脊椎动物（例如，海洋鱼类）影响的数据很少。影响水环境中纳米颗粒毒性的因素包括纳米颗粒的理化特性、测试生物的物种特异性和水环境参数（特别是盐度、温度和 pH 值）。这些因素与 NP 毒性之间的确切关系仍然知之甚少。特别是，关于盐度如何影响水性环境中的 NP 毒性尚未达成共识。NP 毒性的假定机制包括氧化应激、细胞膜完整性受损、炎症过程导致细胞功能障碍、DNA 损伤和基因突变。NPs 很容易在生物体内持续存在，因此很有可能在海洋食物链中积累。缺乏检测金属和金属氧化物纳米粒子的标准化技术，以及相关立法薄弱或缺乏，使海洋生态系统的毒理学研究复杂化。上述情况使得有必要进一步评估金属纳米颗粒对海洋生物特别是脊椎动物的安全性，研究纳米颗粒在海洋食物链中转移和积累的远距离影响，并统一各自的研究方案。