Effects of Technologically Relevant Ni-enriched NMC Nanomaterials on D. magna

Nanotechnology has emerged as a novel technique to solve problems in material science, with new nanomaterials being produced for numerous purposes, having numerous applications across many consumer products. Nickel-magnesium-cobalt oxide (NMC), nanoparticles are being developed as alternatives to lithium cobalt oxide for next generation batteries. As batteries are typically disposed of in landfills rather than recycled, and therefore may inadvertently be introduced into the environment, there is a potential for environmental impact. Therefore, it is essential to screen for these effects early in the development of these particles, which is the goal of The Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology. We studied the effects of NMC nanoparticles that differ in their nickel content on the model organism Daphnia magna, a model organism for environmental toxicity due to their importance in the food web as primary consumers, quick lifecycles, and their ability to remain viable in lab cultures with relative ease. Another benefit for using Daphnia is that they reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis, essentially making clones of themselves, ensuring that DNA lineages are kept constant throughout the culture. This study I exposed Daphnia magna to various compositions of NMC materials of various sizes at concentrations of 1-25 mg/L for acute (48 hours) as well as a chronic exposure (21 days) measuring reproductive impacts. Nanoparticles can affect the organisms in several ways, such as altering DNA, interacting with the cell membrane, or interfering with normal cell processes, depending on the properties and shape of the molecule. Earlier studies have looked examined the biological impacts of other NMC materials, as well as lithium cobalt oxide materials, but not comparing different NMC materials. Consequently, adverse effects on survival were measured endpoint as well as gene expression to determine the effects on metabolism and detoxification