ACUTE EFFECT OF ALUMINIUM OXIDE NANOPARTICLES ON THE SWIMMING SPEED OF AFRICAN CATFISH, Clarias gariepinus EMBRYOS

ABSTRACT

Al2O3 Nanoparticles (Al2O3-NPs) are a class of nanometals that have been widely used because of their unique physical and chemical properties various chemical and manufacturing industries. However, despite the widespread commercial applications of Al2O3-NPs, toxicological concerns exist. The extensive usage of Al2O3-NPs leads to the release of these nanoparticles into the aquatic environment directly or indirectly which afflicts fish and aquatic systems as they may have serious implications on aquatic organisms. Therefore, this current study investigated the acute effects of exposure to Al2O3-NPs on the swimming performance of Catfish, Clarias garipenus embryos at environmentally relevant concentrations. Clarias garipenus embryos (2 hours post fertilization) were exposed to four different concentrations of Al2O3-NPs (0.5, 1, 5, and 10 mg/L) until 48 hours post fertilization using a modified fish embryo acute toxicity test (OECD TG 236) as guideline. A digital camera was used to record the swimming speed of the embryos at 48hpf and Kinovea software was used to analyze the data. In comparison to the control, Al2O3-NPs exposed embryos exhibited slower swimming speed with increasing concentrations of Al2O3-NPs. Erratic swimming pattern was observed in the 10 mg/L concentration which indicated restlessness and stress of the embryos. The result concludes that Al2O3-NPs are toxic at different levels of concentrations in the early life stages of Clarias garipenus embryos due to its high teratogenic potential.