| Nanotechnology engineering is rapidly growing with promises of substantial benefits. However, worries have been raised that their properties making them so attractive are thought to have potential health or environmental hazards. This study was designed to assess the acute toxicity of quantum dot cadmium sulfide（CdS QDs） nanomaterial on aquatic ecosystem. It is widely used in light chemical batteries, energy storage device, photoluminescence, electroluminescence, sensors, infrared window material and light catalysis. Scenedesmus obliquus was exposed to different CdS QDs concentrations（0 mg·L-1, 0.2 mg·L-1, 0.5 mg·L-1 and 1 mg·L-1） and algal growth was daily assayed while shape and color of cells, photosynthesis pigments, free malondialdehyde（MDA） and superoxide dismutase（SOD） content were assayed after 96 h exposure. The concentration of 1.0 mg·L-1 caused a significant algal growth inhibition. The optical microscopy images showed cells′ tendancy to turn pallor when CdS QDs concentration is increased, indicating that it might inhibit the synthesis of chlorophylls whose content varied with cell density. The MDA and SOD contents were opposite, indicating that varying degrees of lipid peroxidation occurred in the cell membrane. This study contributes to the assessment of toxicological effect of quantum dot cadmium sulfide on aquatic ecosystem. |
