Copper phosphate (Cu3(PO4)2 ●3H2O) nanosheets (NS) have been shown to suppress plant disease through the efficient release of copper ions and therefore are a promising material for use in agriculture. However, the possible use of this nanomaterial on crops would inevitably result in run-off into freshwater systems. The question is whether this run-off would have a negative impact, as copper is known to be toxic to various freshwater organisms like fish and midges. In this study, the effects of sedimental exposure to copper phosphate NS on the growth, hemoglobin concentration and gene expression of the freshwater midge, Chironomus riparius is evaluated. Larval midges were exposed to 0, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/L of settled copper phosphate NS in moderately hard reconstituted water for one week, after which size and hemoglobin concentration were measured and expression levels of genes involved in oxidative stress response, DNA damage repair and heme synthesis were compared via qPCR. Exposure to concentrations of copper phosphate NS equal to and greater than 10mg/L led to fatality, stunted growth, DNA damage and reduced heme synthesis. This suggests that the impacts of this material on the environment should be further researched before introducing this material into commercial use.

Negative impacts of Cu3(PO4)2 nanosheet exposure on Chironomus riparius larvae

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.