Bioaccumulation of copper nanoparticle in gill, liver, intestine and muscle of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) juvenile

• Main Authors: Bagherzadeh Lakani, F., Meshkini, S., Yazdani Sadati, M.A., Falahatkar, B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Biology; Fisheries; Acipenser baerii; Siberian sturgeon
• Online Access: http://aquaticcommons.org/21777/; http://aquaticcommons.org/21777/1/CJES_Volume%2014_Issue%202_Pages%20105-115.pdf

Copper (Cu) is an essential element required by all living organisms, since at least 30 enzymes are known to use Cu as a cofactor. Cu is also toxic in excess and liver and gills are known to be target organs for it. In the present study, 240 Siberian sturgeon juvenile (with initial weight 29.2 ± 3.1 g and initial length 21.8 ± 1.4 cm) were randomly distributed in 12 fiberglass tanks at 4 different copper nanoparticle (Cu-NPs) treatments with 3 replicates. Treatments included control (T0 = no added Cu-NPs), 50 (T50), 100 (T100), 200 (T200) µg.l -1 Cu-NPs (mean primary particle size of 2 - 6 nm) in a semi-static waterborne exposure regime. Water exchanged were 20% daily with redosing after each change. The experimental period lasted 28 days, 14 days exposure to Cu-NPs and 14 days as recovery time. Fish liver, gill, intestine and muscle were sampled at days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Samples were weighed, dried (100 ◦C for 48 h) then digested in concentrated nitric acid in a water bath, cooled, and analyzed for Cu concentration in the tissues with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscope. Most of the Cu-NPs were accumulated in the intestine, gill, liver and muscle. The accumulation of NPs in tissues was increased in all treatments from day 7 through 14. In the recovery period, Cu-NPs in tissues decreased but it was still higher than the control treatment. The current findings indicate that preventing the entry of Cu-NPs into the aquatic environment would seem to be essential.