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Assessing the Chronic Environmental Risk of Graphene Oxide Using a Multimarker Approach Across Three Trophic Levels
Ildikó Fekete-Kertész1, Krisztina László2, Anna Bulátkó2
1Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Group, Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., H-1111 Budapest, Hungary.
Chronic exposure to graphene oxide (GO) impacts aquatic life across multiple trophic levels, including bacteria, algae, and invertebrates. While GO shows toxicity, its ecological risk in aquatic environments appears negligible under realistic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Nanomaterial Safety
Background:
- Graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly synthesized and used, raising concerns about its environmental release into aquatic systems.
- Limited knowledge exists on the chronic ecotoxicological effects of GO across different trophic levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the chronic toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) on key aquatic organisms representing three trophic levels.
- To evaluate the ecological risk of GO in aquatic habitats by considering multi-trophic and chronic exposure effects.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a well-characterized GO product for chronic toxicity testing.
- Employed model organisms: bacterium *Aliivibrio fischeri*, green algae (*Chlamydomonas reinhardtii*, *Chlorella vulgaris*, *Desmodesmus subspicatus*), cyanobacterium *Synechococcus elongatus*, and cladoceran *Daphnia magna*.
- Measured endpoints: bacterial bioluminescence inhibition, algal growth inhibition, and *D. magna* reproduction and physiological parameters (heart rate, feeding).
Main Results:
- Demonstrated concentration-dependent chronic effects of GO on all tested organisms.
- Observed significant inhibition of bioluminescence in *A. fischeri*, growth in primary producers, and delayed reproduction and reduced fitness in *D. magna*.
- Ecotoxicological risk assessment indicated negligible hazard of pristine GO in environmentally relevant scenarios.
Conclusions:
- Chronic exposure to GO induces adverse effects across multiple trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems.
- Evaluating emerging nanomaterials like GO requires incorporating chronic and multi-trophic effects for accurate ecological risk assessment.
- Pristine GO poses a low ecological risk to aquatic environments under typical exposure conditions.
