Accumulation and Genotoxicity of UiO-66 Nanoparticles in Freshwater Fish Nothobranchius rachovii

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess remarkable physicochemical properties, making them highly attractive candidates for advanced drug delivery, catalysis, water purification, gas separation, and biomedical application. Thus, it is important to understand its toxic effect on the environment and human health prior to wide practical application. In this study, UiO-66 nanoparticles (Zr₆O₄(OH)₄-octahedral clusters with benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate linkers) were synthesized and characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. The genotoxicity and accumulation of UiO-66 were investigated towards freshwater fish, Nothobranchius rachovii, for the first time. To gain a better understanding of the effects of UiO-66 nanoparticles towards N. rachovii, fish were exposed to UiO-66, the linker, and zirconium salts. The genotoxic risk caused by UiO-66 was detected by analyzing the Chromosome Aberrations (CAs), frequencies of Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCEs), mitotic index, and accumulations of Zr in tissues of fish treated with UiO-66 samples, linker, zirconium salt, and non-exposed control subjects.