Analysis of gold and silver nanoparticles internalized by zebrafish (Danio rerio) using single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

With the increase in the application of nano-consumer products containing engineered nanoparticles (NPs), the unintended environmental exposure to NPs has been inevitable. Because of the bioaccumulation of NPs, concern about their potential cytotoxicity to aquatic organisms is also growing. Although measuring tools for analyzing particle size and/or concentration of NPs in intracellular uptake of tissues have been well developed, a simultaneous analysis of the two characteristics is difficult. The objective of this study was to use single particle-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (sp-ICP-MS) to measure the bioaccumulation and particle size changes of NPs exposed to zebrafish (Danio rerio) for 7 days. The uptake of NPs in the liver, intestine, and gill tissues was confirmed by electron microscopic (EM) analysis. However, the primary particle size of NPs in tissues could not be determined by the EM analysis. Therefore, sp-ICP-MS coupled with alkaline digestion was used for the easy extraction and immediate analysis of NPs from tissues. Zebrafish were exposed to four NPs (30 and 80 nm gold/silver NPs; AuNPs/AgNPs). Uptake amounts of AgNPs in the liver and intestine were significantly higher than those of AuNPs. Although larger NPs were finally accumulated in the liver and intestine tissues, most of the smaller NPs were filtered in the gills. The sp-ICP-MS method coupled with alkaline digestion enabled the accurate analysis of size, size distribution, and mass concentration of NPs in an aquatic organism. [Display omitted] •SP-ICP-MS was applied to analyze the exposure and uptake of NPs by living zebrafish.•High recovery efficiency of NPs from the liver of zebrafish was obtained by alkaline extraction.•Uptake amounts of AgNPs in the liver and intestine were significantly higher than those of AuNPs.•SP-ICP-MS enabled an accurate analysis of NP features in an aquatic organism.