36
Investigations have confirmed the presence of nanoparticles in the blood and distribution of these particles in the liver, spleen, heart, and brain (Ji et al. 2006). Hillyer
and Albrecht carried out a research on mice by dossing colloidal gold nanoparticles
orally (Hillyer and Albrecht 2001). They showed that smaller nanoparticles (4 nm)
had access to relatively distant organs like brain, while bigger nanoparticles (58 nm)
accumulated in the gut. However, it is evident that nanoparticles in the circulation
interact with plasma, cell, and result in coagulation of blood, but the interaction
mechanism has remained unknown. Nevertheless, the interaction can have prominent effects on toxicity of nanoparticles. It has been demonstrated that bovine serum
albumin reduced the toxicity of quantum dots (Lovric 2005).
The filtering process carried out by kidney, bean-shaped, which filter blood,
excreting end-products of the body and regulating hydrogen, sodium, potassium,
phosphate, and other ions in the extracellular fluid. Other possible nanoparticles
excretion routes are via bile, sweat, and cell shedding (Nefzger et al. 1984). The
question is whether the kidney has the ability to remove all nanoparticles. If
nanoparticles cannot be completely removed from the body, then, however slowly
they enter, some degree of bioaccumulation will occur. The results have shown that
bioaccumulation is inevitable even if it is slow. There are some findings supporting
the bioaccumulation. Poly (amidoamine) dendrimers of 5 nm are demonstrated to
accumulate in kidney (Nigavekar et al. 2004).
2.4 Potential Health Effect of Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology is considered as the technology of the future. Most of industries
including food, cosmetics, clothing, aerospace, etc. have employed nanotechnology
in their products. As a matter of course, these nanomaterials enter our body as a
result of exposure. As nanotechnology has been advancing and the numbers of
nanotechnology- based products have been increasing, concerns relevant to their
adverse effects on biological system and environment have also risen (Braakhuis
et al. 2014). However, nanotechnology has great potential to create many novel
materials and devices with wide-ranging applications, and a lot of questions related
to the effect of nanomaterial have remained unanswered. Nanotechnology has raised
a great interest related to the toxicity and environmental impacts of nanomaterials.
In extreme examples, there have been various doomsday scenarios (Drexler 1986).
Scientists have been searching for the effects of exposure to nanomaterials on
human health. Recent studies have indicated that some of the nanomaterials may
have adverse effects on health (Viswanath and Kim 2016). The adverse effect of
nanomaterials is generally related to their extremely small size. These nanoscale
particles are more chemically reactive and have ability to produce a large number of
reactive oxygen species. The reactive oxygen species include free radicals which
are harmful to health. Additionally, their small size facilitates their entrance into the
body through the skin. Unlike large-scale particles, nanomaterials are able to reach
cells, tissues, and organs, and even cell mitochondria and the cell nucleus. Studies
S. Tekmen and S. Öksüz
Investigations have confirmed the presence of nanoparticles in the blood and distribution of these particles in the liver, spleen, heart, and brain (Ji et al. 2006). Hillyer
and Albrecht carried out a research on mice by dossing colloidal gold nanoparticles
orally (Hillyer and Albrecht 2001). They showed that smaller nanoparticles (4 nm)
had access to relatively distant organs like brain, while bigger nanoparticles (58 nm)
accumulated in the gut. However, it is evident that nanoparticles in the circulation
interact with plasma, cell, and result in coagulation of blood, but the interaction
mechanism has remained unknown. Nevertheless, the interaction can have prominent effects on toxicity of nanoparticles. It has been demonstrated that bovine serum
albumin reduced the toxicity of quantum dots (Lovric 2005).
The filtering process carried out by kidney, bean-shaped, which filter blood,
excreting end-products of the body and regulating hydrogen, sodium, potassium,
phosphate, and other ions in the extracellular fluid. Other possible nanoparticles
excretion routes are via bile, sweat, and cell shedding (Nefzger et al. 1984). The
question is whether the kidney has the ability to remove all nanoparticles. If
nanoparticles cannot be completely removed from the body, then, however slowly
they enter, some degree of bioaccumulation will occur. The results have shown that
bioaccumulation is inevitable even if it is slow. There are some findings supporting
the bioaccumulation. Poly (amidoamine) dendrimers of 5 nm are demonstrated to
accumulate in kidney (Nigavekar et al. 2004).
2.4 Potential Health Effect of Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology is considered as the technology of the future. Most of industries
including food, cosmetics, clothing, aerospace, etc. have employed nanotechnology
in their products. As a matter of course, these nanomaterials enter our body as a
result of exposure. As nanotechnology has been advancing and the numbers of
nanotechnology- based products have been increasing, concerns relevant to their
adverse effects on biological system and environment have also risen (Braakhuis
et al. 2014). However, nanotechnology has great potential to create many novel
materials and devices with wide-ranging applications, and a lot of questions related
to the effect of nanomaterial have remained unanswered. Nanotechnology has raised
a great interest related to the toxicity and environmental impacts of nanomaterials.
In extreme examples, there have been various doomsday scenarios (Drexler 1986).
Scientists have been searching for the effects of exposure to nanomaterials on
human health. Recent studies have indicated that some of the nanomaterials may
have adverse effects on health (Viswanath and Kim 2016). The adverse effect of
nanomaterials is generally related to their extremely small size. These nanoscale
particles are more chemically reactive and have ability to produce a large number of
reactive oxygen species. The reactive oxygen species include free radicals which
are harmful to health. Additionally, their small size facilitates their entrance into the
body through the skin. Unlike large-scale particles, nanomaterials are able to reach
cells, tissues, and organs, and even cell mitochondria and the cell nucleus. Studies
S. Tekmen and S. Öksüz