Histopathological alteration in gills and liver of Cyprinus Carpio after a short-term exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles

With the rapid development of nanotechnology in past few decades, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have been extensively used in variety of domestic, commercial, and industrial products. Nano-titanium dioxide is one of the most widely used nano-material due to its UV light absorption, optical properties, thermally stable nature, and photocatalytic activity. Frequent use of nano sized titanium is likely to end up in the discharge of these particles into different environmental compartments. However, it is still uncertain if these nano materials are harmful to aquatic biota. In present study, titanium dioxide nanoparticles were prepared using liquid impregnation method and were characterized through SEM and XRD. Toxicity of selected five concentrations: 0.01, 1.5, 3.0, 10 and 100 mg/L of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on freshwater fish Cyprinus Carpio were assessed using histological biomarker approach. Gills and liver tissues showed increasing degree of damage including pycnotic nuclei, cytolysis, vacuolization, blood congestion and architectural loss along the exposure period of 96 hrs. This study elucidates the time and dosage dependent toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the fish implying that short-term exposure to sublethal concentrations is sufficient to produce detrimental impacts on metabolic and physiological functioning of fish.