Nanomaterials have potential medical applications, for example in the area of drug delivery, and their possible adverse effects and cytotoxicity are curently receiving attention. Inhalation of nanoparticles is of great concern, because nanoparticles can be easily aerosolized. Imaging techniques that can visualize local populations of nanoparticles at nanometre resolution within the structures o...

Using long-term anthropological observations at the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology in Houston, Texas, the article demonstrates in detail the creation of new objects, new venues and new modes of veridiction which have reoriented the disciplines of materials chemistry and nanotoxicology. Beginning with the confusion surrounding the meaning of 'implications' and 'applicatio...

Nanoparticle research has become increasingly important in the context of bioscience and biotechnology. Practical use of nanoparticles in biology has significantly advanced our understanding about biological processes in the nanoscale as well as led to many novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Besides, synthetic and natural nanoparticles are of concern for their potential adverse effe...

Nanotechnology is a promising tool for the development of innovative treatment strategies allowing to overcome obstacles encountered by classical drug delivery. This has led to the development of nanomedicine. Indeed, nano-delivery systems (NDS) may allow the controlled release of therapeutics, protection of drugs against degradation, targeted drug delivery and facilitated transport across barr...

To determine how soil properties influence nanoparticle (NP) fate, bioavailability and toxicity, this study compared the toxicity of nano zinc oxide (ZnO NPs), non-nano ZnO and ionic ZnCl2 to the earthworm Eisenia fetida in a natural soil at three pH levels. NP characterisation indicated that reaction with the soil media greatly controls ZnO properties. Three main conclusions were drawn. First ...

not to exceed 150 words): Since the discovery of Buckminster Fullerenes (C60), hours have been devoted to the study of this carbon nanoparticle. C60 has been investigated in such applications as photodynamic therapy of cancer, photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, and enzyme inhibition. Despite two decades of research, the biological effects of C60 remain a mystery. The intention of this study is...

The advent of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and their increased use has remarkably improved the performance of basic materials and consumer products, but has also increased the potential for ENP release into the environment. Technical procedures, more accurate and specific than those for routine chemical analysis, are needed for characterization and quantification of ENPs at environmentally r...

Recent developments in nanoparticle (NP) technology and their commercial production have raised concern regarding NP risk to health and the environment. The toxicological characteristics of NP may not be similar to that observed in pre-NP materials because of the enormous differences in size and surface area. Thus, careful risk evaluation studies are required. Since some NP have already been pr...

Although nanoparticles (NPs) have made incredible progress in the field of nanotechnology and biomedical research and their applications are demanded throughout industrial world particularly over the past decades, little is known about the fate of nanoparticles in ecosystem. Concerning the biosafety of nanotechnology, nanotoxicity is going to be the second most priority of nanotechnology that n...

The recent advances in nanotechnology and the corresponding popular usage of nanomaterials have resulted in uncertainties regarding their environmental impacts. In this study, we used a systematic approach to study and compare the in vitro cytotoxicity of selected engineered metal oxide nanoparticles to the test organisms--E. coli. Among the seven test nano-sized metal oxides, ZnO, CuO, Al2O3, ...