Abstract
Nanomaterials (NMs) have gained prominence in technological advancements due to their tunable physical, chemical and biological properties with enhanced performance over their bulk counterparts. NMs are categorized depending on their size, composition, shape, and origin. The ability to predict the unique properties of NMs increases the value of each classification. Due to increased growth of production of NMs and their industrial applications, issues relating to toxicity are inevitable. The aim of this review is to compare synthetic (engineered) and naturally occurring nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) to identify their nanoscale properties and to define the specific knowledge gaps related to the risk assessment of NPs and NSMs in the environment. The review presents an overview of the history and classifications of NMs and gives an overview of the various sources of NPs and NSMs, from natural to synthetic, and their toxic effects towards mammalian cells and tissue. Additionally, the types of toxic reactions associated with NPs and NSMs and the regulations implemented by different countries to reduce the associated risks are also discussed.
Highlights
Nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) represent an active area of research and a techno-economic sector with full expansion in many application domains
The results showed that the presence of carbon nanotubes in cells can cause granulomatous reactions, oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to fibroplasia and neoplasia in lungs
The results suggested that humans are routinely exposed to carbon nanotubes and showed that the outcome is similar to the vehicle exhaust samples collected in Paris, ambient air samples from the USA, a spider web sample in India and in ice core [95]
Summary
Nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) represent an active area of research and a techno-economic sector with full expansion in many application domains. Produced nanomaterials Apart from incidental and engineered nanomaterials, nanoparticles and nanostructures are present in living organisms ranging from microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae and viruses, to complex organisms, such as plants, insects, birds, animals and humans. Bacterial magnetic particle (BacMPs) [164] produced via bacterium are suggested to perform as a bio-needle in a compass and helps those bacteria to migrate under the impact of the Earth’s geomagnetic field along with oxygen gradients in aquatic environments, as shown in Figure 4B [165] Morphologies such as vibrio, cocci, spirilla, rod-shape, ovoid and multicellular bacteria are found to possess unique characteristics in yielding NPs [164,165,166,167]. The risk assessment in the future will determine whether the NMs and their products are hazardous or any further actions are needed
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