Toxicity assessment of zebrafish following exposure to CdTe QDs

CdTe  quantum  dots  (QDs)  are  nanocrystals  of  unique  composition  and properties  that  have  found  many new  commercial  applications;  therefore,their  potential  toxicity  to  aquatic  organisms  has  become  a  hot research  topic.  The  lab  study  was  performed  to  determine  the developmental  and  behavioral  toxicities to  zebrafish  under  continuous exposure  to  low  concentrations  of  CdTe  QDs  (1–400  nM)  coated  with thioglycolic  acid  (TGA).  The  results  show:  (1)  the  120  h  LC50 of 185.9  nM,  (2)  the  lower  hatch  rate  and body length, more malformations, and less heart beat and swimming speed of the exposed zebrafish,(3) the brief burst and a higher basal swimming rate of the exposed zebrafish larvae during a rapidtransition from light-to-dark, and (4) the vascular hyperplasia, vascular bifurcation,vascular crossing and  turbulence  of  the  exposed  FLI-1  transgenic  zebrafish  larvae.