Nanomaterials: A challenge for toxicologists

Abstract

The new and unique applications offered by nanotechnology in diverse areas have made it so popular that it is being applied today in almost all aspects of daily life. Although the small size and subsequent larger surface area of nanoparticles (NPs) endow them with some highly useful and specific properties, it also renders them more active leading to unexpected and unanticipated consequences on interaction with biological systems. The concern over the probable adverse effects of nanomaterials on living systems has given rise to ‘nanotoxicology’. However, nanotoxicology has lagged far behind nanotechnology due to a number of experimental challenges and issues faced in designing studies involving toxicological assessment of nanomaterials. This review, therefore addresses some of the issues pertaining to nanomaterial toxicology with respect to nanomaterial characterization, agglomeration, dose metric and surface coating.