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Methylcellulose coating markedly reduces tissue bioaccumulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus).

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Title: Methylcellulose coating markedly reduces tissue bioaccumulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus).
Authors: Najibzadeh M; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, 384817758, Iran. Electronic address: masoumeh.najibzadeh@gmail.com., Mirhoseini F; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Arak University, 38156-8-8349, Arak, Iran., Kazemi A; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak University, Arak, Iran; Department of Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran.
Source: Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) [Aquat Toxicol] 2026 Jun; Vol. 295, pp. 107823. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 12.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8500246 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-1514 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 0166445X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Aquat Toxicol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press, c1981-
MeSH Terms: Water Pollutants, Chemical*/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical*/toxicity , Water Pollutants, Chemical*/metabolism , Water Pollutants, Chemical*/pharmacokinetics , Methylcellulose*/chemistry , Bufonidae*/metabolism , Ferric Compounds*/chemistry , Ferric Compounds*/metabolism , Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles*, Liver/metabolism ; Liver/chemistry ; Bioaccumulation/drug effects ; Muscles/metabolism ; Muscles/chemistry ; Animals ; Nanoparticles
Abstract: The increasing environmental release of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding their bioaccumulation and potential ecological impacts in aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated whether surface modification with methylcellulose (MC) can reduce the tissue bioaccumulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus). Uncoated Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via a co-precipitation method, and MC-coated Fe3O4 nanocomposite was prepared. Physicochemical characterization using dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy showed an increase in hydrodynamic diameter from approximately 80.6 nm for uncoated Fe3O4 to 158 nm for MC/Fe3O4, indicating improved colloidal stability following surface modification. Adult B. sitibundus specimens (n = 135) were exposed for 28 days under waterborne conditions to uncoated or MC-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles at nominal concentrations of 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg L-1. Iron concentrations in liver and muscle tissues were quantified using ICP-OES. Exposure to uncoated Fe3O4 resulted in significant, concentration-dependent increases in tissue iron levels compared to controls, with the highest accumulation observed in the liver (11,541 ± 910 mg kg-1 dry weight at 1000 mg L-1). In contrast, MC coating markedly reduced tissue bioaccumulation, with liver iron concentrations decreasing to 2819 ± 450 mg·kg-1 at the same exposure level, corresponding to an approximate 75% reduction. Regression analyses revealed strong dose-body burden relationships (R² = 0.92 for liver and R²= 0.85 for muscle), and accumulation was consistently higher in liver than in muscle. Although the nanoparticle concentrations used in this study exceed those typically reported in current environmental settings, our findings demonstrate that methylcellulose coating substantially lowers the bioavailability and tissue accumulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in an amphibian model under controlled exposure conditions. These results highlight the importance of surface modification as a safer-by-design strategy for reducing the hazard potential of engineered nanomaterials. From a methodological perspective, this study contributes to improved hazard characterization frameworks for nanoparticle risk assessment.
(Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Ecotoxicology; Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles; Green toad; Methylcellulose
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Water Pollutants, Chemical)
9004-67-5 (Methylcellulose)
0 (Ferric Compounds)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260421 Date Completed: 20260715 Latest Revision: 20260715
Update Code: 20260715
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107823
PMID: 42013713
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Methylcellulose coating markedly reduces tissue bioaccumulation of Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus).
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Najibzadeh+M%22">Najibzadeh M</searchLink>; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Arak University, Arak, 384817758, Iran. Electronic address: masoumeh.najibzadeh@gmail.com.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Mirhoseini+F%22">Mirhoseini F</searchLink>; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Arak University, 38156-8-8349, Arak, Iran.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Kazemi+A%22">Kazemi A</searchLink>; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Arak University, Arak, Iran; Department of Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, 1983969411, Iran.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%228500246%22">Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)</searchLink> [Aquat Toxicol] 2026 Jun; Vol. 295, pp. 107823. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Apr 12.
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  Data: <i>Publisher: </i><searchLink fieldCode="PB" term="%22Elsevier%2FNorth+Holland+Biomedical+Press%22">Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press </searchLink><i>Country of Publication: </i>Netherlands <i>NLM ID: </i>8500246 <i>Publication Model: </i>Print-Electronic <i>Cited Medium: </i>Internet <i>ISSN: </i>1879-1514 (Electronic) <i>Linking ISSN: </i><searchLink fieldCode="IS" term="%220166445X%22">0166445X </searchLink><i>NLM ISO Abbreviation: </i>Aquat Toxicol <i>Subsets: </i>MEDLINE
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  Data: <i>Original Publication</i>: Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier/North Holland Biomedical Press, c1981-
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical%22">Water Pollutants, Chemical*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical%22">Water Pollutants, Chemical*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical+toxicity%22">toxicity</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical%22">Water Pollutants, Chemical*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical+metabolism%22">metabolism</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical%22">Water Pollutants, Chemical*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Water+Pollutants%2C+Chemical+pharmacokinetics%22">pharmacokinetics</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Methylcellulose%22">Methylcellulose*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Methylcellulose+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Bufonidae%22">Bufonidae*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Bufonidae+metabolism%22">metabolism</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Ferric+Compounds%22">Ferric Compounds*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Ferric+Compounds+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Ferric+Compounds%22">Ferric Compounds*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Ferric+Compounds+metabolism%22">metabolism</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Magnetic+Iron+Oxide+Nanoparticles%22">Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Liver%22">Liver</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Liver+metabolism%22">metabolism</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Liver%22">Liver</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Liver+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Bioaccumulation%22">Bioaccumulation</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Bioaccumulation+drug+effects%22">drug effects</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Muscles%22">Muscles</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Muscles+metabolism%22">metabolism</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Muscles%22">Muscles</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Muscles+chemistry%22">chemistry</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Animals%22">Animals</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Nanoparticles%22">Nanoparticles</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The increasing environmental release of iron oxide (Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript>) nanoparticles has raised concerns regarding their bioaccumulation and potential ecological impacts in aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated whether surface modification with methylcellulose (MC) can reduce the tissue bioaccumulation of Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus). Uncoated Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanoparticles were synthesized via a co-precipitation method, and MC-coated Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanocomposite was prepared. Physicochemical characterization using dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy showed an increase in hydrodynamic diameter from approximately 80.6 nm for uncoated Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> to 158 nm for MC/Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript>, indicating improved colloidal stability following surface modification. Adult B. sitibundus specimens (n = 135) were exposed for 28 days under waterborne conditions to uncoated or MC-coated Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanoparticles at nominal concentrations of 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg L<superscript>-1</superscript>. Iron concentrations in liver and muscle tissues were quantified using ICP-OES. Exposure to uncoated Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> resulted in significant, concentration-dependent increases in tissue iron levels compared to controls, with the highest accumulation observed in the liver (11,541 ± 910 mg kg<superscript>-1</superscript> dry weight at 1000 mg L<superscript>-1</superscript>). In contrast, MC coating markedly reduced tissue bioaccumulation, with liver iron concentrations decreasing to 2819 ± 450 mg·kg<superscript>-1</superscript> at the same exposure level, corresponding to an approximate 75% reduction. Regression analyses revealed strong dose-body burden relationships (R² = 0.92 for liver and R²= 0.85 for muscle), and accumulation was consistently higher in liver than in muscle. Although the nanoparticle concentrations used in this study exceed those typically reported in current environmental settings, our findings demonstrate that methylcellulose coating substantially lowers the bioavailability and tissue accumulation of Fe<subscript>3</subscript>O<subscript>4</subscript> nanoparticles in an amphibian model under controlled exposure conditions. These results highlight the importance of surface modification as a safer-by-design strategy for reducing the hazard potential of engineered nanomaterials. From a methodological perspective, this study contributes to improved hazard characterization frameworks for nanoparticle risk assessment.<br /> (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107823
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        StartPage: 107823
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Liver metabolism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Liver chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bioaccumulation drug effects
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Muscles metabolism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Muscles chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nanoparticles
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water Pollutants, Chemical chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water Pollutants, Chemical toxicity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water Pollutants, Chemical metabolism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water Pollutants, Chemical pharmacokinetics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Methylcellulose chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bufonidae metabolism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ferric Compounds chemistry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ferric Compounds metabolism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Methylcellulose coating markedly reduces tissue bioaccumulation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the green toad (Bufotes sitibundus).
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              Text: 2026 Jun
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 295
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