The contamination of marine water bodies with petroleum hydrocarbons represents a
threat to ecosystems and human health. In addition to the surface slick of crude oil, the water-soluble
fraction of petroleum is responsible for the induction of severe toxic effects at different cellular
and molecular levels. Some petroleum-derived hydrocarbons are classified as carcinogenic and
mutagenic contaminants; therefore, the oil spill into the marine environment can have long term
consequences to the biota. Therefore, new tools able to remediate crude oil water accommodation
fraction pollution in marine water are highly recommended. Nanomaterials were recently proposed
in environmental remediation processes. In the present in vivo study, the efficacy of pure anatase
titanium nanoparticles (n-TiO2) was tested on Dicentrarchus labrax exposed to the accommodated
fraction of crude oil. It was found that n-TiO2 nano-powders themselves were harmless in terms of
DNA primary damage, and the capability of pure anatase n-TiO2 to lower the levels of DNA damage
induced by a mixture of genotoxic pollutant was revealed. These preliminary results on a laboratory
scale are the prerequisite for deepening this new technology for the abatement of the cellular effects
related with oil spill pollutants released in marine environments