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Articolo in rivista, 2023, ENG, 10.3390/jmse11020380

Spermiotoxicity of Nano-TiO2 Compounds in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816): Considerations on Water Remediation

Sara Ignoto, Roberta Pecoraro, Elena Maria Scalisi, Martina Contino, Greta Ferruggia, Stefania Indelicato, Roberto Fiorenza, Stefano Andrea Balsamo, Giuliana Impellizzeri, Francesco Tiralongo, Antonio Salvaggio, Maria Violetta Brundo

Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy 2 Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy 3 National Research Council, Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, 95123 Catania, Italy 4 Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea, Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, 96012 Avola, Italy 5 National Research Council, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, 60125 Ancona, Italy 6 Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily "A. Mirri", 90129 Palermo, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Despite the great utility of nanoparticles (NPs) in water remediation, their effects on marine ecosystems are unknown and unpredictable. The toxicity of the most used nanoparticles, such as ZnO, Ag, and TiO2 on the purple sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), has been demonstrated by several authors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of TiO2 sol-gel and TiO2-rGO nanocompounds on both vitality and motility of spermatozoa of P. lividus. The spermatozoa were exposed at different times (30 and 60 min) and concentrations (10, 20, 40 µg/mL) of both nano-TiO2 compounds. The results clearly showed a decrease in both vitality and motility of P. lividus spermatozoa exposed. In particular, vitality and motility were inversely related to both exposure time and concentration of TiO2 sol-gel and TiO2-rGO nanocompounds.

Journal of marine science and engineering