Due to its mapped, highly tractable genome, high percentage of homologous disease genes to humans, and a short ~10 day life cycle, D. melanogaster is an exceptional model for examining potential toxic effects of exposure to NMC and other nanoparticles. Investigations of the potential environmental impacts of nanoparticles have largely focused on model or simple nanomaterials. The current work exposes Drosophila melanogaster to poly(allylamine) hydrochloride wrapped gold nanoparticles (PAH–AuNPs), and citrate capped gold nanoparticles (Cit–AuNPs) as well as first generation battery materials lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) and complex next-generation battery material lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). This work represents the first steps towards evaluating potential toxic effects of battery-related nanoparticles on D. melanogaster. In initial trials, no significant mortality was observed in D. melanogaster larvae exposed to NMC nanoparticles at 1, 10, 20 or 100 mg/L, utilizing two different methods: nanoparticle-treated food media and nanoparticle-treated aqueous sucrose solution. Previously published studies with Drosophila commonly expose larvae to nanoparticles via mixture with food media, which introduces additional variables that may affect outcomes. Nanoparticles are less stable when introduced to food media, and homogenous mixing is difficult; and the methods described in existing research are often vague, e.g., nanoparticles were “mixed strongly” into the food media. The work presented here describes a minimal media exposure method in which D. melanogaster embryos hatch directly into treatment media consisting of only nanoparticles and moderately hard water. Results seen in D. melanogaster will be used to compare impacts across various model organisms.

Nanotoxicology of NMC, PAH-AuNP, Citrate-AuNP and D. melanogaster

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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