Toxicity on Artemia Salina of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Microwave Assisted Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

Nanotechnology has gained much attention, especially in medical research, but its rapid development and the widespread use of nanoproducts raise questions about the ecotoxicity of these materials. In this work we studied the toxicity induced by nano Fe3O4 in a model organism, Artermia salina (A. salina) in an aquatic environment. These nanoparticles were synthesized by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The methodology was a completely randomized experimental design and had 8 treatments which were: filtered and autoclaved seawater, CuSO4, 10 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 250 mg/L, 500 mg/L, 1000 mg/L and 10000 mg/L of Fe3O4, each with 3 replicates. The experimental units were composed of 100 uL of each treatment and 10 instar III nauplii in a 24-well microplate. After 24 hours, the number of dead larvae and LC50 were determined using the statistical program R free version. As a result, the X-ray diffractogram indicated the formation of Fe3O4 with a crystallite size of 10.1nm; FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the pure phase of the material with the presence of its characteristic bands. The LC50 had a value of 5356.76 mg/L of Fe3O4 at 24 hours of exposure to A. salina. In conclusion, Fe3O4 nanoparticles have a toxic effect causing larval death at concentrations above 5356.76 mg/L.