Abstract
Cellulose nanocrystals exhibit an interesting combination of mechanical properties and physical characteristics, which make them potentially useful for a wide range of consumer applications. However, as the usage of these bio-based nanofibers increases, a greater understanding of human exposure addressing their potential health issues should be gained. The aim of this perspective is to highlight how knowledge obtained from studying the biological impact of other nanomaterials can provide a basis for future research strategies to deduce the possible human health risks posed by cellulose nanocrystals.
Highlights
Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, and can be found in plants, algae, bacteria, amoeba, and even some marine animals
During these latter stages of the life-cycle, the risk of exposure can mostly be attributed towards the possible abrasion of the product, which could result in the release of individual cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), small CNC
Such information is important for the future of nanocellulose hazard assessment, since in a number of previous studies an intimate characterisation is absent, making it difficult to correlate across different studies and to address, if any, the key parameters that influence different cell responses following nanocellulose exposure [10]
Summary
Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on earth, and can be found in plants, algae, bacteria, amoeba, and even some marine animals. The polymer chains are organized in highly ordered and uniaxially oriented crystalline domains, which are disrupted by disordered amorphous regions This structure is the basis for the isolation of different types of nanocellulose from natural cellulosic materials. With nanocellulose, it is essential to build upon the already formed knowledgebase of nanomaterial hazard, even via read-across techniques, wherein structurally similar analogues are used to hypothesize toxicity without experimental testing [30], in order to progress both understanding and perception of the biological impact of such ‘new’ nanomaterials effectively The objective of this perspective is, to consider how the advancements of nanocellulose applications have been studied through both in vitro and in vivo investigation, and how this knowledge within may be attributed towards clarity of current understanding, and future activities regarding the use of, and biological impact of CNCs
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