Genotoxic and mutagenic assessment of iron oxide (maghemite-γ-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticle in the guppy Poecilia reticulata

Highlights

• Genotoxicity and mutagenicity of IONPs in guppies are exposure time dependent.

• Early genotoxic effect in guppies after acute and long-term exposure to IONPs.

• Higher mutagenic effects in P. reticulata after long-term exposure to IONPs.

• Erythrocytes of P. reticulata are important target to IONP ecotoxicity.

Abstract

The environmental risk of nanomaterials (NMs) designed and used in nanoremediation process is of emerging concern, but their ecotoxic effects to aquatic organism remains unclear. In this study, the citrate-coated (maghemite) nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized and its genotoxic and mutagenic effects were investigated in the female guppy Poecilia reticulata. Fish were exposed to IONPs at environmentally relevant iron concentration (0.3 mg L⁻¹) during 21 days and the animals were collected at the beginning of the experiment and after 3, 7, 14 and 21 days of exposure. The genotoxicity and mutagenicity were evaluated in terms of DNA damage (comet assay), micronucleus (MN) test and erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENA) frequency. Results showed differential genotoxic and mutagenic effects of IONPs in the P. reticulata according to exposure time. The IONP induced DNA damage in P. reticulata after acute (3 and 7 days) and long-term exposure (14 and 21 days), while the mutagenic effects were observed only after long-term exposure. The DNA damage and the total ENA frequency increase linearly over the exposure time, indicating a higher induction rate of clastogenic and aneugenic effects in P. reticulata erythrocytes after long-term exposure to IONPs. Results indicated that the P. reticulata erythrocytes are target of ecotoxicity of IONPs.