Incorporation of metallic nanoparticles present in atmospheric particullate matter in tissues of Centropomus parallelus and Oreochromis niloticus

• Grant number: 23/09730-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Support Program for Fixating Young Doctors
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Agreement: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Marisa Narciso Fernandes
• Grantee: Iara da Costa Souza
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/01356-5 - Incorporation of metallic nanoparticles present in atmospheric particullate matter in tissues of Centropomus parallelus and Oreochromis niloticus, AP.R

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest iron producers in the world, with high industrial activity in iron minning, ironwork, steel and metallurgical process. Most of these activities emit a metallic smoke that may contain several metals from production process and the original ore. In the search for different alloys, most of the industries have developed metal alloys with compounds that have no limit in current legislation, such as bismuth, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, yttrium and other emerging metallic compounds. Tubarão Complex, located in Grande Vitória, ES, has recognized emission of atmospheric particulate material contaminated with metals from this process, in which several emerging metal contaminants have already been founded. We propose to evaluate and quantify metals and metalloids metallic nanoparticles present in the atmospheric particulate matter from the iron ore, pelletizing and steel industries present in the Tubarão Complex, in two fish species (estuarine/marine - Centropomus parallelus; freshwater/estuarine - Oreochromis niloticus). Ultra and nanostructural morphological techniques will be applied in the fish tissues to identify emerging metallic nanoparticles at the subcellular level, and when possible, to evaluate they internalization as well as they oxidation state and crystallographic structure. The concentration of these metal/metalloids, some of those emerging contaminants, in the particulate material evaluated together with their internalization in cells, it will bring light to the bioavailability and in what biological processes those particles could cause damage.