A new study raises the possibility that flies and other insects that encounter
nanomaterial "hot spots," or spills, near manufacturing facilities in the future
could pick up and transport nanoparticles on their bodies, transferring the
particles to other flies or habitats in the environment. The study on carbon
nanoparticles - barely 1/5,000th the width of a human hair -is scheduled for
the Aug. 15 issue of ACS'
Environmental Science + Technology.
 | | Researchers are reporting that carbon nanoparticles can be transmitted by fruit flies and that certain nanoparticles can be toxic to adult flies. (Image: American Chemical Society) |
David Rand and Robert Hurt and colleagues note that emergence of a nanotechnology
industry is raising concerns about the potential adverse health and environmental
effects of nanoparticles. These materials show promise for use in a wide range
of products, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.
The study focused on determining how different kinds of exposure to nanoparticles
affected larval and adult fruit flies. Scientists use fruit flies as stand-ins
for humans and other animals in certain kinds of research. There were no apparent
ill effects on fruit fly larvae that ate food containing high concentrations
of nanoparticles. However, adult flies died or were incapacitated when their
bodies were exposed to large amounts of certain nanoparticles.
During the experiments, the researchers noted that contaminated flies transferred
nanoparticles to other flies, and realized that such transfer could also occur
between flies and humans in the future. The transfer involved very low levels
of nanoparticles, which did not have adverse effects on the fruit flies. Since
larvae can tolerate very high doses of nanoparticles in the diet, but adult
flies show very different sensitivities, the environmental impact depends on
the ecological context of nanoparticle release.
Posted August 5th, 2009
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