Toxicological effects of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles in soil on earthworm Eisenia fetida

Nanoparticles (NPs) of TiO2 and ZnO are receiving increasing attention due to their widespread applications. To evaluate their toxicities to the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) in soil, artificial soil systems containing distilled water, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 or 5.0 g kg−1 of NPs were prepared and earthworms were exposed for 7 days. Contents of Zn and Ti in earthworm, activities of antioxidant enzymes, DNA damage to earthworm, activity of cellulase and damage to mitochondria of gut cells were investigated after acute toxicity test. The results from response of the antioxidant system combined with DNA damage endpoint (comet assay) indicated that TiO2 and ZnO NPs could induce significant damage to earthworms when doses were greater than 1.0 g kg−1. We found that Ti and Zn, especially Zn, were bioaccumulated, and that mitochondria were damaged at the highest dose in soil (5.0 g kg−1). The activity of cellulase was significantly inhibited when organisms were exposed to 5.0 g kg−1 of ZnO NPs. Our study demonstrates that both TiO2 and ZnO NPs exert harmful effects to E. fetida when their levels are higher than 1.0 g kg−1 in soil and that toxicity of ZnO NPs was higher than TiO2.