Background/Question/Methods With the rapid development of the nanotechnology industry, the world is being attentive to the environmental impacts of manufactured nanoparticles. The production of TiO2 nanoparticles by 2025 is expected that it will reach 2.5 million metric tons. The rapid production and use of TiO2 nanoparticles result in the direct and indirect release into aquatic environments through bathing, industrial effluent, and engineering applications, causing an influence in the river health and lotic ecosystem function and services. These changes can also affect shrimp larval survival and recruitment. One species of freshwater shrimp is Atya lanipes, which is known to affect detrital processing and nutrient availability to the rest ecosystem food web. The objective of this study is to understand the neurotoxic effects of TiO2 nanoparticles in post hatching Atya lanipes larvae under different nanoparticles concentrations (1, 10, 50, 100, 150 mg/L). For this, we are conducting a bioassay for each nanoparticle’s concentrations. We are evaluating survival after 24h and 48h exposure, locomotion behavior after 48h and morphological development. The bioassay conditions are: 14/10h day/night periods, salinity of 10ppt and 27°C temperature. The other analysis we will conducting is an immunohistochemistry analysis to evaluate neuronal damage and oxidative stress. Results/Conclusions Preliminary results have shown that at a concentration of 10 mg/L the larvae show a reduction in the average speed, average acceleration and in the distance traveled. The control group presented an average speed of 0.05 mm/s and the larvae exposed to a concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles, presented an average speed of 0.03 mm/s. On the other hand, in terms of the average acceleration, the control larvae showed 0.03 mm/s2 and the larvae exposed to 10 mg/L showed an acceleration of 0.02 mm/s2. Finally, we have analyzed that the distance traveled by the control larvae was 1.48mm, while the larvae exposed to 10 mg/L presented an average distance traveled of 0.83mm. In the analysis of survival for the control group we obtained 100%, while the larvae exposed to 10mgL TiO2 nanoparticles presented 88% survival. Some preliminary conclusions that we can mention is that the larvae of the shrimp A. lanipes show to have an adverse effect on the exposure of TiO2 nanoparticles, both in their animal behavior and in their survival. These data are pertinent to the ecology of freshwater shrimp because the contamination of these ecosystems by TiO2 nanoparticles can affect the migrations and recruitment of larvae of this species.
