Researcher Finds Buckyballs Cause Fish Brain Damage - New Technology

Researchers at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas have found that a type of buckyball, can cause significant brain damage in fish. The preliminary study is only small but has demonstrated that nanoparticles can cause toxic effects in an aquatic species.

In a controlled laboratory study, the researcher exposed nine juvenile largemouth bass, confined to 10-Litre aquaria, to a form of water-soluble buckyball (C60) at a dose of 0.5 parts per million.

After 48 hours, the animals developed significant brain damage as measured by lipid peroxidation, or the breakdown of lipids, as shown by laboratory analysis of brain tissue samples. The brain damage seen in the fish exposed to the nanoparticles was severe: 17 times higher than that seen in nine unexposed animals, the researcher says.

"Given the rapid onset of brain damage, it is important to further test and assess the risks and benefits of this new technology before use becomes even more widespread," says Oberdörster. Until further studies are done, no one knows yet whether these and other buckyballs will cause similar brain damage in humans, she emphasizes.

In addition to damage to the brain, the researcher also investigated altered gene expression in the liver of exposed fish. "We found a variety of genes that were turned on or turned off, indicating a whole-body response to fullerene exposure," she says, adding that these studies represent the first steps in a longer process of studying changes in gene expression.

The researchers still do not know the mechanism by which buckyballs cause damage in the fish. "We don't know if the fullerenes are directly causing lipid peroxidation in the brain tissue or whether it is a secondary effect caused by inflammation," Oberdörster says.

Posted 28^th March 2004