Acute toxicity of a mixture of copper and single-walled carbon nanotubes to Daphnia magna

Nanomaterials released into the environment will interact with many materials including other contaminants. This may influence bioavailability and fate of both the nanoparticles and the other contaminants. The present study examined the effect of a combination of soluble copper and surface-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on Daphnia magna. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) was used to modify the surface of SWNTs, reducing the surface hydrophobicity of the tubes and thereby producing a stable aqueous nanoparticle suspension. The toxicity of the nanoparticle-copper (Cu) mixture was determined to be additive. The addition of nontoxic concentration of LPC-SWNTs enhanced the uptake and toxicity of copper. Greater amounts of Cu were shown to accumulate in D. magna upon addition of 0.5 and 1.0 μg/L LPC-SWNTs.