Chapter SIX - Fate and disposition of functionalized nanomaterial in vivo: implication in human health risk assessment

Abstract

The use of nanomaterials has increased rapidly in numerous arenas which subsequently has increased the likelihood of human exposure. Thus, assessing the risks of nanomaterials is imperative to ensure human health safety. Toxicokinetics plays a crucial role in the risk assessment of chemicals. To explore the toxicokinetic characteristics of a nanomaterial, it is very important to understand the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) processes of the nanomaterials. However, determining the ADME behavior of nanomaterials in preclinical as well as clinical situation is a challenging task as the toxicokinetics of nanomaterials hugely relies on their physicochemical properties (such as size, shape, surface functionalization and hydrophilicity) as well as their interaction with the cellular and extracellular components of the body. The present chapter describes various ADME processes and the factors affecting the toxicokinetic properties of nanomaterials with special attention given to functionalized nanomaterials (FNMs).