Abstract:
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting dengue fever. Using nanoparticles is a better suggestion to combat vector mosquito spread. Daphnia magna is the keystone species in freshwater food webs. The sensitivity of Daphnia magna to low metal concentrations underscores its importance in evaluating the impact of nanoparticles on the ecosystem. This study examined the impact of Silver, ZnO, CaF2, Europium-doped ZnO, and CaF2 nanoparticles on Aedes aegypti larvae and adult Daphnia magna. The batch of 25 third instar larvae of Aedes aegypti and the batch of 25 adult Daphnia magna were exposed to each nanoparticle in a concentration series for 24 and 48 hours. For Aedes aegypti, nanoparticles of ZnO and CaF2 at 20 mg/L, 40 mg/L, 60 mg/L, 80 mg/L, and 100 mg/L; nanoparticles of Europium-doped ZnO and CaF2 at 50 mg/L; and Silver nanoparticles at 1 mg/L, 2 mg/L, 3 mg/L, 4 mg/L, and 5 mg/L. For the Daphnia magna, ZnO nanoparticles at 0.2 mg/L, 0.4 mg/L, 0.6 mg/L, 0.8 mg/L, and 1 mg/L; Europium-doped ZnO nanoparticles at 0.5 mg/L; CaF2 nanoparticles at 1 mg/L, 2 mg/L, 3 mg/L, 4 mg/L, and 5 mg/L; Europium-doped CaF2 nanoparticles at 4 mg/L; and Silver nanoparticles at 2.36 mg/L. The percentage mortality of Aedes aegypti larvae and Daphnia magna was calculated for each nanoparticle. The study revealed that nanoparticles of ZnO and CaF2 did not affect Aedes aegypti larvae but caused significant mortality in Daphnia magna. LC50 value at 24 hours for ZnO nanoparticles was 0.51 mg/L, while for CaF2 nanoparticles, it was 4.44 mg/L. The study also revealed that increasing europium doping in ZnO and CaF2 nanoparticles led to higher Daphnia magna mortality. The study revealed that exposure to silver nanoparticles for 24 hours significantly increased Aedes aegypti larvae mortality rates. LC50 value was 2.36 mg/L. All Daphnia magna were dead within 24 hours of exposure to silver nanoparticles. The study concludes that ZnO and CaF2 nanoparticles did not affect Aedes aegypti larvae. Silver nanoparticles showed lethal effects but cannot be recommended for Aedes aegypti control due to being toxic to Daphnia magna, a keystone species in aquatic ecosystems.
