Nanoparticle transport and sequestration: Intracellular titanium dioxide nanoparticles in a neotropical fish

Intracellular titanium dioxide nanoparlicles (TiO2-NP) with Futile crystalline form and dimensions varying from 43 to 67 nm x 64 to 93 nm are reported for the first lime as being sequestered from the environment. TiO2-NP were identified inside all organs, lissues (muscle, kidney, gonad, hepatopancreas and gill) in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of the neotropical fish Centropomus paranelus, captured in an area affected by metallurgical activity. Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) sampled in the same area showed the presence of TiO2-NP with the same Futile crystalline form and dimensions varying from 16 to 93 nm x 45 to 193 nm, thus indicating the smelting and iron processing industries as the most probable source of TiO2-NP. In any sample, chemical analyses identity and quantily Ti concentration and nanouystallography identified the structure of TiO2-NP. The Ti concentration in the sediment and atmospheric PM varied between years andf it was mirrored by the Ti concentration in the fish organs. The gill has a higher Ti concentration varying from 550 to 14.57 mu g.g(-1) dry weight and the gonad was the organ with lowest Ti level, 0.25 W 0.87 mu g.g(-1) dry weight. In the muscles, Ti concentration varied from 0.85 to 3.34 mu g.g(-1) dry weight. This contamination may be likely to affect the surrounding biota and food uptake, including the humans living in the city close to the metallurgical complex. These findings emphasised the needs to improve methods to reduce PM (including nanoparticles) arising from human activities and to evaluate the toxicokinetic and effects of TiO2-NIP in the biota and human health. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.