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nanotechnology; however, nanoparticles are managed by using the risk assessment
methodology.
Keywords Nanoparticles · Genotoxicity · Risk assessment
5.1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is a very fast-growing field. There are many nanotechnology applications ranging from medical diagnostics and prognostics to issues of environmental sciences because of their unique properties (Nath and Banerjee 2013).
Manufactured nanomaterials are used in many commercially available consumer
products, such as cosmetics, packaging, paints, sunscreens and semiconductors and
textiles. They are also used in medical applications to increase the quality of life
enabling early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Due to the increasing production
volumes, thereby more exposure to nanomaterials, environmental exposure to these
materials is inevitable (Contado 2015).
Nanomaterials have unique features such as small size, composition, surface
structure, solubility, shape, and aggregation. These features allow for limitless modifications of their basic properties such as controlled drug release, solubility, diffusion, targeting, stability, half-life in circulatory system. Nanomaterials have
advantages over their large-scale counterparts due to having unique properties, and
they are preferred in many areas (Jennifer and Maciej 2013).
Due to both the increasing production of nanomaterials and growing dissemination of information on nanomaterials, synthetic nanomaterials should be evaluated
for their potential environmental impact/hazard potential prior to their use in products because of the inevitable release of their waste materials into the environment
(Ray et al. 2009). There are currently relatively scanty data on the toxicity of nanomaterials to environmentally relevant species, limiting the quantitative risk assessment of nanomaterials. Due to the increased production of synthetic nanomaterials,
the occupational and public exposure to nanomaterials is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as well as their potential release in the environment
(OECD International Futures Programme). As mentioned above, nanomaterials are
used not only in medicine, drug and food industries, but also they have potential
environmental applications such as remediation of contaminated groundwater with
iron nanoparticles.
Although already significant amount of toxicological information concerning
nanoparticles is available, ecotoxicological data on nanoparticles are relatively
newly emerging. This toxicological information is obtained at various biological
levels, such as from in vitro cell culture studies to in vivo animal studies. In contrast
more data and experience have been relatively more readily available on bulk chemicals in the evaluation of environmental hazard compared to individual particles
since it requires a more specific and exhaustive analysis to evaluate individual
B. Karahalil
nanotechnology; however, nanoparticles are managed by using the risk assessment
methodology.
Keywords Nanoparticles · Genotoxicity · Risk assessment
5.1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is a very fast-growing field. There are many nanotechnology applications ranging from medical diagnostics and prognostics to issues of environmental sciences because of their unique properties (Nath and Banerjee 2013).
Manufactured nanomaterials are used in many commercially available consumer
products, such as cosmetics, packaging, paints, sunscreens and semiconductors and
textiles. They are also used in medical applications to increase the quality of life
enabling early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Due to the increasing production
volumes, thereby more exposure to nanomaterials, environmental exposure to these
materials is inevitable (Contado 2015).
Nanomaterials have unique features such as small size, composition, surface
structure, solubility, shape, and aggregation. These features allow for limitless modifications of their basic properties such as controlled drug release, solubility, diffusion, targeting, stability, half-life in circulatory system. Nanomaterials have
advantages over their large-scale counterparts due to having unique properties, and
they are preferred in many areas (Jennifer and Maciej 2013).
Due to both the increasing production of nanomaterials and growing dissemination of information on nanomaterials, synthetic nanomaterials should be evaluated
for their potential environmental impact/hazard potential prior to their use in products because of the inevitable release of their waste materials into the environment
(Ray et al. 2009). There are currently relatively scanty data on the toxicity of nanomaterials to environmentally relevant species, limiting the quantitative risk assessment of nanomaterials. Due to the increased production of synthetic nanomaterials,
the occupational and public exposure to nanomaterials is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years as well as their potential release in the environment
(OECD International Futures Programme). As mentioned above, nanomaterials are
used not only in medicine, drug and food industries, but also they have potential
environmental applications such as remediation of contaminated groundwater with
iron nanoparticles.
Although already significant amount of toxicological information concerning
nanoparticles is available, ecotoxicological data on nanoparticles are relatively
newly emerging. This toxicological information is obtained at various biological
levels, such as from in vitro cell culture studies to in vivo animal studies. In contrast
more data and experience have been relatively more readily available on bulk chemicals in the evaluation of environmental hazard compared to individual particles
since it requires a more specific and exhaustive analysis to evaluate individual
B. Karahalil