Bare and nonionic surfactant-functionalized praseodymium oxide nanoparticles: Toxicological studies

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Toxicology

Background:

• Praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11) nanomaterials have emerging applications in catalysis, oxygen storage, and optical devices.
• Urgent need for toxicological evaluation of Pr6O11 nanomaterials to understand their ecological impact.
• Lack of comprehensive toxicological data for bare and functionalized Pr6O11 nanoparticles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a toxicological profiling of bare and nonionic surface-modulated Pr6O11 nanoparticles (NPs).
• To assess the ecological impact of Pr6O11 NPs using a multi-assay approach.
• To develop indicators for inspecting the toxic nature of bare and functionalized Pr6O11 NPs.

Main Methods:

• Wheat seed germination assay to evaluate effects on germination parameters.
• Paper disc approach for assessing impact on algal growth.
• Bacterial viability testing on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhi.
• Allium cepa chromosomal aberration assay for genomic level analysis.

Main Results:

• Functionalized NPs demonstrated significantly higher biocompatibility: 41.05%-400% in wheat seed germination and 27.1%-47.3% in A. cepa chromosomal aberration assays compared to bare NPs.
• Biocompatibility enhancement for functionalized NPs was 23.1%-37.1% in algal growth assays and 10%-70.6% in antibacterial activity tests.
• The study measured the competence of obtained data for characterizing potential threats and data requirements for safe Pr6O11 NP use.

Conclusions:

• Surface modification of Pr6O11 NPs significantly enhances their biocompatibility across various biological assays.
• The multi-assay approach provides a robust framework for evaluating the ecotoxicological profile of nanomaterials.
• Findings highlight the importance of functionalization for mitigating potential ecological risks associated with Pr6O11 NPs and inform safe application guidelines.