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# Silicon dioxide causes fragmentation of DNA in all tissues of fish
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/silicon_dioxide_dna_fragmentation_fish_0523131120/
- Published: 2013-05-24T00:19:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:46:55.000Z
- Description: R. Ramesh's team exposed zebra fish to 2.5 and 5 mg per liter of silicon dioxide nanoparticles for seven days. DNA from control tissues stayed intact while treated liver, muscle and gill tissue came back fragmented, with antioxidant enzymes altered.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Thursday May 23, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Scientists have started worrying about the toxicity of nanoparticles such as silicon dioxide in wildlife while nanoparticles are still being commonly used in human and pet foods and cosmetics. A study recently released in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment has found that silicon dioxide, which is heavily used in foods and dietary supplements, altered antioxidant enzymes and impaired DNA in zebra fish.

R. Ramesh R from Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India and colleagues , authors of the study, pointed out that the hazardous and toxic effects of nanoparticles have not been studied extensively although standard toxicological test methods are readily available for testing the toxic effects.

Silicon dioxide used in the study was between 68 and 100 nm, which was confirmed by a number of testing methods including X-ray diffractometer, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. For the study, zebra fish was exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of 5 and 2.5 mg of silicon dioxide nanoparticles per liter of water for a period of seven days.

After seven days, the treated fish were scarified and tissues including liver muscle and gill wee processed for analysis of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione (GSH)-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and GSH and DNA fragmentation and DNA profiles. Analysed were also tissues from zebra fish that were not exposed to silicon dioxide nanoparticles.

The scientists found "DNA from control tissues was intact, whereas (DNA from) the tissues treated with SiO(2) were all fragmented." and antioxidant enzymes were altered in a way indicating that silicon dioxide nanoparticles induce oxidative stress in the fish. 

Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, when inhaled, has been recognized as a carcinogen. It has been known that inhaled silicon dioxide can increase the risk of lung cancer. Research has shown that ingested nanoparticles including silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide which are commonly used in foods and supplements and cosmetics can travel to the liver, the kidneys and the brain, disrupting DNA and causing genomic instability and potentially leading to the development of cancer.

Nanoparticles can be much worse than pesticides, which can be degraded sooner or later. But nanoparticles are hard to be decomposed and they can pollute the environment and eventually pollute humans beings even those who try to avoid eating foods with added nanoparticles.

You cannot digest nanoparticles and they will travel to your vital organs and cause damages there inducing all sorts of diseases potentially. Some companies have started using titanium dioxide, but silicon dioxide and zinc oxide are being commonly used in many many foods and dietary supplements.

(Photo credit: wikipedia)