Ecotoxicology of underivatized fullerenes (C60) in fish

CEB Investigators: Theodore Henry, Steve Willhelm, and Gary Sayler

The use of nanomaterials (e.g., C60 fullerenes) in various industries is projected to increase dramatically in the future and environmental contamination by these materials is expected. Although environmental contamination by nanomaterials is presently minimal, assessment of the potential negative environmental effects of these materials is important for environmental protection and to enable the societal benefits of nanotechnology to be fully realized. Aquatic ecosystems are likely to become contaminated by C60 in the future and toxicity in aquatic organisms should be investigated. The objectives of our research are to characterize the physicochemical characteristics of C60 in water and investigate the influence of dissolved organic material on the behaviour of C60 aggregates in freshwater. Subsequently our toxicological investigations are aimed at evaluating toxicity of C60 (both aqueous and dietary) in fish by assessing changes in gene expression, histopathology, and bioaccumulation of C60 in tissues. Of particular interest to us is the influence of co-contaminants (i.e., contaminants that become associated with C60 aggregates) and the mechanisms by which C60 aggregates facilitate the bioavailability of these toxicants in fish. Our investigations include assessment of gene expression (global microarray analyses and qRT-PCR), histopathology, tissue burden assessments; and research includes experiments with zebrafish and channel catfish.

For more information, contact Ted Henry.