Study of the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the nitrogen cycle of Favites Pentagona Coral environment

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Biomedical; Cell & Molecular Biology; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Marine Science; Systematics & Evolutionary Biology.
  In Poster Session: Chemistry & Biochemistry Poster Session

Abstract

Titanium presence in aquatic environments enters environmental compartments from different sources. Previous work has shown TiO2 inhibits the nitrogen cycle when introduced to cyanobacteria and inhibits calciferous coral growth of mounding coral species. This work aims to study the effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on Favites Pentagona Coral environment, by exposing a coral specimen to TiO2 nanoparticles in seawater tanks. The water in TiO2-exposed coral showed a nitrate spike and the coral suffered a considerable decline in health. Moreover, there was also an evident change in the algal growth pattern when exposed to titanium dioxide. Preliminary results, show nitrite concentrations of up to 10 ppm after 96 hours of exposure. Additionally, qualitative determination of titanium species in Favites Pentagona Coral tissues was achieved by scanning electron microscopy. A protocol for fixing live coral for SEM examination has been developed and tested with good results. Both the nitrate/nitrite quantification in seawater using UV/vis and titanium determination using scanning electron microscopy will be applicable to many subdisciplines in the marine science and marine chemistry fields.

Authors

• Melissa Wood, University of Texas of the Permian Basin

• Milka O Montes, University of Texas Permian Basin