DNA damage and repair following In vitro exposure to two different forms of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on trout erythrocyte

TiO(2) has been widely used to promote organic compounds degradation on waste aqueous solution, however, data on TiO(2) nanotoxicity to aquatic life are still limited. In this in vitro study, we compare the toxicity of two different families of TiO(2) nanoparticles on erythrocytes from Oncorhynchus mykiss trout. The crystal structure of the two TiO(2) nanoparticles was analyzed by XRD and the results indicated that one sample is composed of TiO(2) in the anatase crystal phase, while the other sample contains a mixture of both the anatase and the rutile forms of TiO(2) in a 2:8 ratio. Further characterization of the two families of TiO(2) nanoparticles was determined by SEM high resolution images and BET technique. The toxicity results indicate that both TiO(2) nanoparticles increase the hemolysis rate in a dose dependent way (1.6, 3.2, 4.8 μg mL(-1) ) but they do not influence superoxide anion production due to NADH addition measured by chemiluminescence. Moreover, TiO(2) nanoparticles (4.8 μg mL(-1) ) induce DNA damage and the entity of the damage is independent from the type of TiO(2) nanoparticles used. Modified comet assay (Endo III and Fpg) shows that TiO(2) oxidizes not only purine but also pyrimidine bases. In our experimental conditions, the exposure to TiO(2) nanoparticles does not affect the DNA repair system functionality. The data obtained contribute to better characterize the aqueous environmental risks linked to TiO(2) nanoparticles exposure. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.