XRM2024 - Thu09A - "Nanoscopic XRF analysis to elucidate the role of eco-corona on the mixture ecotoxicity of graphene oxide and copper in the Daphnia model for advanced water research"

Water research is a key topic of science and technology toward sustainability. The eco-corona emerges as a very important concept in nanobiotechnology, environmental nanoscience and nanosafety, with dramatical implications for water purification, remediation, safety, and innovation. To face the challenges posed by climate change and  increasing population, water research requires efforts considering a multidisciplinary perspective toward sustainability. Nanomaterials are strategic advanced materials to be considered in water science, technology, and innovation [1]. Daphnia sp is a very important aquatic organism model for ecotoxicology, water quality monitoring and environmental safety research. Importantly, eco-corona establishes an interface between material's surface and the environment. Therefore, understanding and controlling the eco-corona formation is essential for establishing the fate, toxicity, and applications of materials in water systems. However, the current ecotoxicological guidelines for water quality assessment (i.e., OECD and ABNT) do not yet consider the eco-corona effects [2]. In this context, the main goal of this project is to move forward on the role of eco-corona on mixture ecotoxicity of nanomaterials and classical pollutants. For this, nanobioeco-interactions will be explored for the very first time with high spatial resolution by Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy (SXFM), using graphene oxide nanomaterial and copper ions (Cu2+) mixture ecotoxicity on  Daphnia similis organism. Measurements were carried out at the CARNAÚBA X-ray nanoprobe beamline of Sirius [3] in cryogenic conditions. The main results and conclusions of this work will be presented as well as future activities will also be sketched.