Effect of Engineered Nanoparticles on Exopolymeric Substances Release from Marine Phytoplankton

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), products from modern nanotechnologies, can potentially impact the marine environment to pose serious threats to marine ecosystems. However, the cellular responses of marine phytoplankton to ENPs are still not well established. Here, we investigate four different diatom species (Odontella mobiliensis, Skeletonema grethae, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Thalassiosira pseudonana) and one green algae (Dunaliella tertiolecta) for their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) release under model ENP treatments: 25 nm titanium dioxide (TiO₂), 10-20 nm silicon dioxide (SiO₂), and 15-30 nm cerium dioxide (CeO₂). We found SiO₂ ENPs can significantly stimulate EPS release from these algae (200-800%), while TiO₂ ENP exposure induced the lowest release. Furthermore, the increase of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration can be triggered by ENPs, suggesting that the EPS release process is mediated through Ca²⁺ signal pathways. With better understanding of the cellular mechanism mediated ENP-induced EPS release, potential preventative and safety measures can be developed to mitigate negative impact on the marine ecosystem.