Influences of temperature and salinity on the physicochemical properties and toxicities of nano zinc oxide to marine organisms

Professor Leung, Kenneth Mei Yee   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Professor Djurisic Aleksandra   (Co-Investigator)

36

2015-09-01

706972

Influences of temperature and salinity on the physicochemical properties and toxicities of nano zinc oxide to marine organisms

ecotoxicology, marine pollution, multiple stressors, nanotoxicology, sunscreens

Environmental Studies and Science

Physical Sciences (P)

17305715

General Research Fund (GRF)

2015

Completed

1 To investigate physicochemical properties, in particular particle aggregation size and ion dissolution rate of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO), with or without surface modification, in seawater under different environmentally realistic combinations of salinity and temperature. 2 To examine acute toxicities of the two different types of nZnO to three model marine organisms, the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana, copepod Tigriopus japonicus and mussel Perna viridis under the different combinations of salinity and temperature. Special attention will be paid on their interacting effects on the resultant toxicity of nZnO. The results will be essential to the regulation of the use and discharge of nZnO in tropical and subtropical coastal regions. 3 To elucidate possible underlying molecular mechanisms of the nZnO toxicity to T. pseudonana, T. japonicus and P. viridis under different salinity and temperature regimes. The results of this part of the study and those from Objective 1 will provide scientifically sound explanations for the patterns revealed in Objective 2.