Evaluation of the compound Benzotriazole (BTA) ecotoxicity in its free and nanoencapsulated forms.

• Grant number: 22/09010-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Denis Moledo de Souza Abessa
• Grantee: Thaisa Ralha Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The corrosion process compose one of the main problems due the metallic surface exposure to the environment causing an annual worldwide loss of 2.5 trillion dollars in average. As an attempt to mitigate the corrosion damage several technologies have been created over time from the use of inorganic salts to chemical inhibitors and cathodic/anionic protection. Corrosion Inhibitors (CI) are commonly used in materials exposed to the marine environment but is widely known that many of the used compounds can be released into the environment and cause toxic effects to the biota, as the example of Benzotriazole (BTA). This compound is resistant to conventional wastewater treatment, environmental persistent and can cause metabolic alteration in several biological groups. Researchers at the University of Aveiro in partnership with Smallmatek Ltda. have been developing manufactured nanomaterials like the Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) loaded with CIs as alternatives to effectively mitigate corrosion process and its damage to the environment. This project aims to evaluate the toxicity of BTA in free and nanostructured (LDH-Mg/Al) forms. Three neotropical marine species will be used, the sea urchin (Echinometra lucunter), sand dollar (Mellita quinquiesperforata) and mussel (Perna perna). Larval development assays of these 3 species will be carried out, using internationally standardized protocols, with the objective of establishing, from the inhibition of embryonic development, the toxic levels of the tested substances, namely (free BTA; BTA-LDH-Mg/Al, and LDH-Mg/Al). The results will be analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by Dunnett's, to determine the lowest observed effect (LOEC) and of no observed effect concentration (NOEC); This project will also estimate the letal dose for 50% of the samples (LD50) by the Probit method. These data will be used, in a larger project of international collaboration, to generate curves of specific distribution of sensitivity to the compounds, which will base analyzes of the hazard of each substance.