INVESTIGATIONS ON THE IMPACT OF NANOPARTICLES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ECOTOXICITY

Abstract

A special greenhouse was constructed to verify the impact of nanoparticles dispersed in air and in the soil on plant and small animal models.  A 40x4m² greenhouse was divided in two specular parts in order to have a polluted area (B)  and the reference one (A). Two different systems to spray nanoparticles (NPs) were set up: the first consists in a combustion of wood or coke perfused with an alcoholic solution containing Copper and Cobalt NPs and following emission of the micro and nanosized by-products in the greenhouse. The second system is a suitable sprayer of NPs starting from a water solution of engineered NPs of Cobalt, Nickel, Silver, Titania, Cerine. Plants (tomato, rice, tillandsia and moss) and insects (Ceratitis capitata) were exposed to NPs according to specific protocols, as well as  aquatic marine animal models (Earth worms (Lumbricus rubellus), Sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), Brine shrimps (Artemia salina), Zebrafish (Danio rerio), Barnacles (Balanus amphitrite). The results indicate that the NPs produce some effects in photosinthesis in the plant and biological damages at the developmental stage in the sea urchins.