Ecotoxicological impacts of exposure to copper oxide nanoparticles on the gill of the Swan mussel, Anodonta cygnea (Linnaeus, 1758)

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to investigate the ecotoxicological effects of exposure to copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) on the gill of the swan mussel Anodonta cygnea using several approaches including qualitative and quantitative histopathology, ultra-morphology (scanning electron microscopy [SEM]) and measures of clearance rate (CR) and bioaccumulation of CuO NPs. Histological alterations in mussels exposed to 0.25 (T1), 2.5 (T2) and 25.0 µg L−1 (T3) CuO NPs for 12 days include changes in the length and form of gill lamellae, changes in inter-lamellar spaces, epithelial hyperplasia, atrophy and tissue rupture. Ultra-morphological changes following CuO NP exposure included epithelial hyperplasia and hypertrophy, epithelial lifting, tissue rupture (water channel fusion) and extensive necrosis of the gill surfaces. IGill (gill damage severity) index values for both histopathological and ultra-morphological data were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in T3. The CR of mussels was significantly (P < 0....