Earthworm Uptake Routes and Rates of Ionic Zn and ZnO Nanoparticles at Realistic Concentrations, Traced Using Stable Isotope Labeling

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Abstract
The environmental behaviour of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), their availability to, uptake pathways by, and biokinetics in the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus were investigated using stable isotope labelling. Zinc isotopically enriched to 99.5% in 68Zn (68Zn-E) was used to prepare 68ZnO NPs and a dissolved phase of 68Zn for comparison. These materials enabled tracing of environmentally relevant (below background) NP additions to soil of only 5 mg 68Zn-E kg-1. Uptake routes were isolated by introducing earthworms with sealed and unsealed mouthparts into test soils for up to 72 hours. The Zn isotope compositions of the soils, pore waters and earthworms were then determined using multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Detection and quantification of 68Zn-E in earthworm tissue was possible after only 4 hours of dermal exposure, when the uptake of 68Zn-E had increased the total Zn tissue concentration by 0.03‰. The results demonstrate that at these realistic exposure concentrations there is n...
Funding Information
  • Research Councils UK
  • Natural Environment Research Council (RD-834557501-0)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (RD-834557501-0)
  • Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (273207)

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