At the core of zinc is zinc, an essential metal in many physical processes and is crucial for animals and humans. The researchers have issued an alert about the widespread use of zinc oxide (called nanoparticles) in a variety of products. People are concerned about how these particles may affect environmental health. To explore this, scientists have developed an advanced model using zebrafish, a small fish that is often used in experiments to detect how these particles cause stress at low doses.
The researchers and their team, led by Dr. Aya Takeono and Dr. Charles Tyler, include Sylvia Dimitriadou, Dr. Sulayman Mourabit, Dr. Matthew Winter, Dr. Tetsuhiro Kudoh of the University of Exeter, worked with Dr. Nathaniel Clark and Professor Richard, University of Plymouth A new study has been conducted to understand the effects of these tiny particles on aquatic organisms, specifically targeting how they affect zebrafish’s sense of smell.
Their study, published in the journal International Journal, highlights the sensitivity of odor-related nerve cells in zebrafish to zinc oxide nanoparticles. Dr. Aya Takeono shared that “through detailed field imaging analysis, we found that the development of nerve cells in the brain responsible for odor is particularly sensitive to exposure to these nanoparticles.” This groundbreaking approach shows that the low dose of these nanoparticles Even non-lethal doses can cause considerable inflammation, which disrupts brain function related to odors and causes zebrafish’s odor-driven behavior changes.
The researchers exposed the zebrafish embryos to the levels of nanoparticles that people might find in contaminated water. “We detected stress responses in odor nerve cells with exposure levels as low as 33 μg/L, which increased with the increase of zinc nanoparticles.” It is worth noting that these responses were observed to be noted for fish Any obvious effect of embryo growth or physical development highlights the hidden nature of this toxicity.
Further research shows that exposure to these nanoparticles causes inflammation around odor-related tissues, alters the spontaneous activity of nerve cells in odor-related brain regions and hinders the ability of zebrafish to avoid certain odors. Dr Takeono added: “Our findings suggest that leukocytes can localize and may cause inflammation around nerve cells that respond to these nanoparticles in exposed animals.”
The broad implications of this study are important. The nanoparticle concentration range used in the study is consistent with the nanoparticle concentration range in the environment, especially near industrial and mining areas. Given the critical role of odor in various animal behaviors, such as finding food, identifying relatives, escaping predators and mating, this sensation disruption may have significant ecological impacts. The study suggests that the harmful effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles may pose risks to animals and humans, highlighting the need for more research on the long-term consequences of these particles on the sense of smell.
All in all, this extensive study found the invisible danger of zinc oxide nanoparticles, especially their ability to destroy odors in aquatic organisms, even at low exposure levels. These findings highlight the need to increase focus on the potential risks posed by metal nanomaterials in our environment.
Journal Reference
Takeono A, Dimitriadou S, Clark NJ, Handy Rd, Mourabit S, Winter MJ, Kudoh T, Tyler CR. Zinc oxide nanoparticles disrupt the development and function of the olfactory sensory system, thereby impairing olfactory mediated behavior in zebrafish. Environment October 2023; 180:108227. doi:
