Abstract
Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanoparticles are being extensively used in a wide range of industrial applications for producing a variety of different consumer products, including medicines and even food items. The consumption of these products is increasing at an alarming rate, and this results in the release of these nanoparticles in the environment, causing a threat to organisms thriving in aquatic as well as terrestrial ecosystems. That is why screening such materials for their genotoxic effects, if any, becomes essential. A toxicity assay was performed to determine the LD(20) of these nanoparticles for the mosquito Culex quinquefaciatus by Probit analysis. Early fourth instar larvae were exposed to the selected dose of 50 µg/mL, which is