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Titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a risk factor for the health of Neotropical tadpoles: a case study of Dendropsophus minutus (Anura: Hylidae)

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Abstract

The production and use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are increasing worldwide. The release of this substance into the environment can induce toxic effects in aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, although the exact nature of its impacts on Neotropical amphibians is still poorly understood. In this context, the present study evaluated the toxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles and their counterpart—dissolved titanium dioxide (TiO2)—in the tadpoles of Dendropsophus minutus. The biometric parameters, DNA damage, and behavioral changes were verified in tadpoles exposed to three different concentrations (0.1 mg·L−1, 1.0 mg·L−1, and 10 mg·L−1) of TiO2 nanoparticles and dissolved TiO2 for 7 days. We verified significant DNA damage in the D. minutus tadpoles exposed to both forms of Ti, in comparison with the control group. We also identified a reduction in total size, body length, and width, and the height of the musculature of the tail of the tadpoles exposed to all concentrations of both substances in comparison with the control. In the behavioral test, the tadpoles exposed to nanoparticles and dissolved TiO2 presented reduced mobility and a tendency to be less aggregated than normal. Here, the simultaneous use of multiple biomarkers was fundamental for the reliable assessment of the adverse effects of nanomaterials on anuran amphibians and the establishment of a systematic approach to the biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems. The present study expands our understanding of the genotoxic, morphological, and behavioral effects of TiO2 nanoparticles and dissolved TiO2 on anuran amphibians, and contributes to the establishment of further research for the more systematic assessment of the environmental risk of nanomaterials.

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Data availability

The datasets compiled and analyzed in the present study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Coordination for Higher Education Personnel Training (CAPES), the Goiás State Research Support Foundation (FAPEG), and PRONEX/FAPEG/CNPq (Nucleus of Excellence support program—protocol number 20181002600) for financial support. D.M.S. (proc. no. 307652/2018-1) and T.L.R. (proc. n. 306329/2020-4) would also like to thank CNPq for research productivity scholarships. V.G. was supported by a post-doctoral fellowship provided by CAPES/PROCAD-AM 1701/2018 (grant no. 88887.374100/2019-00).

Funding

The Brazilian Coordination for Higher Education Personnel Training (CAPES), the Goiás State Research Support Foundation (FAPEG), and PRONEX/FAPEG/CNPq (Nucleus of Excellence support program—protocol number 20181002600).

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

DFA, VG, and LS collected the tadpoles evaluated in the present study. DFA, KLA, VG, TLR, and DMS carried out all the experiments described here. DFA, VG, and LS conducted the statistical analyses. DFA, VG, TL, and DMS wrote and edited the manuscript. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela de Melo e Silva.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

The tadpoles were sampled under license from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio no. 54832) and maintained in captivity with the approval of the UFG Research Ethics Committee on Animal Use (CEUA-UFG), according to the recommendations of the Brazilian National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation (CONCEA) (008/2019).

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Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Bruno Nunes

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do Amaral, D.F., Guerra, V., Almeida, K.L. et al. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a risk factor for the health of Neotropical tadpoles: a case study of Dendropsophus minutus (Anura: Hylidae). Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 50515–50529 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19098-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19098-x

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