Chapter 18 - Nanotoxicology: toxicity and safety issues of nanoparticles

Abstract

There is no doubt that the applications of nanotechnology-based products or nanoparticles (NPs) are expanding day by day, specifically in the field of pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetics. NPs gained popularity because of their exceptional properties which prove to be beneficial in many ways for different application. Though the NPs have huge utility but still some questions arise regarding their safety issues as they are more prone to interact with the organ, tissues and cells when entered inside the body. Toxicity studies need to be conduct for the NPs to assess their harmful effect on human health. The conventional toxicity studies are unable to give satisfactory results as the properties of NPs are different from the bulk material. This matter gives rise to the birth of a new branch of toxicology that is “Nanotoxicology,” which is specifically designed for assessment of potential toxic effects of NPs. This chapter insights application, toxicity issues and mechanisms underlying the toxicity of NPs along with the details of nanotoxicological studies carried out and the regulatory relevance of those studies.