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Environmental behaviour and ecotoxicity of quantum dots at various trophic levels: A review
- Source :
- Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal, Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP), instacron:RCAAP, Environment International, Vol 98, Iss, Pp 1-17 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Despite the wide application of quantum dots (QDs) in electronics, pharmacy and nanomedicine, limited data is available on their environmental health risk. To advance our current understanding of the environmental impact of these engineered nanomaterials, the aimof this review is to give a detailed insight on the existing information concerning the behaviour, transformation and fate of QDs in the aquatic environment, as well as on its mode of action (MoA), ecotoxicity, trophic transfer and biomagnification at various trophic levels (micro-organisms, aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates). Data show that several types of Cd-based QDs, even at low concentrations (bmg Cd L-1), induce different toxic effects compared to their dissolved counterpart, indicating nano-specific ecotoxicity. QD ecotoxicity at different trophic levels is highly dependent on its physico-chemical properties, environmental conditions, concentration and exposure time, as well as, species, while UV irradiation increases its toxicity. The state of the art regarding the MoA of QDs according to taxonomic groups is summarised and illustrated. Accumulation and trophic transfer of QDs was observed in freshwater and seawater species, while limited biomagnification and detoxification processes were detected. Finally, current knowledge gaps are discussed and recommendations for future research identified. Overall, the knowledge available indicates that in order to develop sustainable nanotechnologies there is an urgent need to develop Cd-free QDs and new "core-shell-conjugate" QD structures. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Science Without Borders Program from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [239524/2012-8] Postdoctoral National Program (PNPD) from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) project (NANOECOTOX) [PTDC/AAC-AMB/121650/2010] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
- Subjects :
- Food Chain
Engineered nanomaterials
Biomagnification
02 engineering and technology
Escherichia-coli
010501 environmental sciences
Biology
01 natural sciences
Ceriodaphnia-dubia
Aquatic toxicology
Food chain
Quantum Dots
Animals
Caenorhabditis-elegans
Chlamydomonas-reinhardtii
Yeast saccharomyces-cerevisiae
lcsh:Environmental sciences
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
General Environmental Science
Trophic level
lcsh:GE1-350
Ecology
technology, industry, and agriculture
Toxicity assessment
equipment and supplies
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
6. Clean water
13. Climate action
Aquatic environment
Quantum dot
Mussel Mytilus-Galloprovincialis
Semiconductor Crystallites
Cdte qds
Ecotoxicity
0210 nano-technology
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 01604120
- Volume :
- 98
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Environment International
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8851a0ff7def3d8257a9e623292816d2