Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Assessment of Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide and Graphene Nanoparticles on A549 cell line

The utilization of Zinc oxide (ZnO), Copper oxide (CuO), and graphene nanoparticles has attracted substantial interest within the industrial sector, notably in the realm of inkjet printing. Consequently, the primary aim of this research was to evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of these nanoparticles using the MTT assay and the Comet assay on the A459 cell line. In this context, it is necessary to assess the environmental and human health implications of these novel materials, with the intention of categorizing them as emerging contaminants if it was necessary. The characterization of ZnO, CuO, and graphene nanoparticles revealed particle sizes in the range of 10–70 nm for the metal oxides, and multi-layer graphene platelets with lateral size < 0.6 µm. Our findings demonstrated a concentration-dependent relationship between increasing nanoparticle concentration and both cytotoxicity and DNA damage. Specifically, MTT assay results indicated a higher level of toxicity associated with ZnO nanoparticles, whereas genotoxicity was more pronounced with CuO nanoparticles. Furthermore, all nanoparticles exhibited lower EC50 values in the Comet assay. In summary, the current study unveils the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ZnO, CuO, and graphene nanoparticles on the A549 cell line.