Investigating the Toxicity of Iron(III) Oxide Nanoparticles, Zinc(II) Oxide Nanorods and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Red Blood Cells

In recent years there has been much research into the use of nanomaterials in biological systems. Hemolysis of erythrocytes is a useful method to examine the effects of particles on the cell membrane. This study investigated the toxic effects of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), zinc (II) oxide (ZnO) and iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) nanomaterials on human red blood cells (RBC). Cell morphology was studied before and after exposure to nanomaterials, using optical microscope, and AFM, which revealed distinct morphological aberrations. Ultra high resolution imaging systems were employed for studying the interaction of nanoparticles and RBC that unveiled attachment of nanoparticles to RBC and their cross linking effects. The hemolytic and hemagglutinating activities of these nanomaterials were investigated in detail. Our results showed that ZnO nanorods were able to induce hemolysis and hemagglutination in treated RBC whereas Fe2O3 displayed only hemagglutination, and MWCNT showed only hemolysis. This study evidenced that MWCNT, ZnO and Fe2O3 are toxic to human red blood cells irrespective of the blood group.