Toxicity and environmental risks of nanomaterials: challenges and future needs

Abstract

Nanotechnology has gained a great deal of public interest because of the needs and applications of nanomaterials in many areas of human endeavors including industry, agriculture, business, medicine, and public health. Environmental exposure to nanomaterials is inevitable as nanomaterials become part of our daily life, and, as a result, nanotoxicity research is gaining attention. This review presents a summary of recent research efforts on fate, behavior, and toxicity of different classes of nanomaterials in the environment. A critical evaluation of challenges and future needs for the safe environmental nanotechnology are discussed.

Figure 1

Predicted nanotechnology market based on Lux Research.

Figure 2

A) Schematic Representation of Gold Nanoparticle Based Surface Energy Transfer Probe for Pathogen DNA Detection, (Reprinted from reference [31] with permission). B) Schematic Representation of Gold Nanoparticle Based Mercury Detection and potable probe (Reprinted from reference [51] with permission). C) Colorimetric Assay for Pathogen RNA Detection, (Reprinted from reference [108] with permission). D) Colorimetric Assay for Mercury Detection from environmental sample, (Reprinted from reference [109] with permission) E) Schematic Representation of Gold Nanoparticle Based Organo Phosphorous Agent Detection, (Reprinted from reference [59] with permission). F) Schematic Representation of Gold Nanoparticle Based Assay for RNA Folding (Reprinted from reference [60] with permission).

Figure 3

TEM images showing gold nanomaterials uptake inside the cell. Gold nanoparticles (30 nm) are within the granular bodies. The TEM images show that gold nanoparticles are aggregated inside the cell.

Figure 4

A: Time dependents absorption change in the presence of the cell media DMEM; B: TEM image of gold nanoparticles in the presence of DMEM (Reprinted from reference [141] with permission).

Figure 5

Bright field confocal microscope image of A) only cell, B) only gold nanorod, C) cell incubated with Au-nanorod (4.5 aspect ratio), D) cell incubated with gold nanopartilce (20 nm), E) cell incubated with gold nanoprism (80 nm).

Figure 6

A: Viability of cells incubated with gold nanoparticle of different sizes (Reprinted from reference [141] with permission); B: Viability of cells incubated with silver nanoparticles of different sizes along with silver nitrate.

Figure 7

Viability of human skin HaCaT keratinocyte cells incubated with gold nanorod (GNR) coated with CTAB, CTAB only, or PSS coated GNR (Reprinted from reference [141] with permission).

Figure 8

A: TEM Images of PSS-coated gold nanorods; B: Viability of cells incubated with PSS-coated gold nanorods (GNR) of different aspect ratios. (Reprinted from reference [141] with permission).