The Daunting Challenge of Ensuring Sustainable Development of Nanomaterials

The development and implementation of nanomaterials (NMs) is rapid and a vast range of applications is already in place or foreseen. Consequently, there is a concomitant increased likelihood for NMs being released into the environment. Given this, there is concern regarding the potential ecological sustainability of nanotechnology [1]. Although, this concern has driven an impressive progress in the field of nanotoxicology, there is a considerable need for data that can support fate, exposure and hazard assessment and the modelling thereof. This Special Issue aimed to tackle the aforementioned requirements by providing a focus on the exposure and effects of NMs in biological systems and the related risk assessment in the environment and for humans. This includes results from novel material and exposure characterisation within various media and biological models; over effect assessment ranging from standard biological endpoints at the population level to subcellular levels, including mechanistic-based studies, to aspects of modelling, risk characterisation, intelligent testing strategies, and safer-by-design approaches.