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Nanotoxicity: Sources and Effects on Environment

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Microbial Nanobionics

Part of the book series: Nanotechnology in the Life Sciences ((NALIS))

Abstract

With the advancement of nanotechnology, use of nanomaterials has substantially increased due to its optical, magnetic, electrical, and catalytic properties. A significant rise in the use of nanomaterials in various fields like tissue engineering, biosensors, drug delivery, optical electronics, materials science, and many more has been observed in recent years. The sources of these nanomaterials can be natural, incidental, or engineered. The various nanomaterials commonly found in our environment are quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, metal- or metalloid-based nanoparticles, nanostructured flame retardants, fullerenes, etc. With the increased use, environmental exposure to nanomaterials is inevitable, resulting in an increased research in nanotoxicity. The toxicity of nanomaterials depends on their shape, size, amount, conformation, and reactivity. They have a potential to indirectly affect the environmental organisms and enzymes upon contact with their surface. They have impacts on the environment in three possible ways: (1) direct effect on species, (2) transformation of biologically available compounds and nutrients upon interaction with other pollutants, and (3) structural changes of nonliving environment. They disrupt the carbon and nitrogen cycle of the aquatic ecosystem, stress photosynthetic organisms, generate reactive oxygen species, and change the biodiversity. They are persistent and tend to accumulate in the environment increasing the toxicity. A database including all the publications of various nanomaterials and their impact on environmental health and safety has been generated by the ICON (International Council of Nanotechnology) which emphasizes on rousing trends in the field of nanotoxicology. The objective of this chapter is to introduce the different sources of nanomaterials and their effects and mechanisms of toxicity in the environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India

    Angana Sarkar, Debapriya Sarkar & Kasturi Poddar

Authors
  1. Angana Sarkar
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  2. Debapriya Sarkar
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  3. Kasturi Poddar
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Correspondence to Angana Sarkar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ram Prasad

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Sarkar, A., Sarkar, D., Poddar, K. (2019). Nanotoxicity: Sources and Effects on Environment. In: Prasad, R. (eds) Microbial Nanobionics. Nanotechnology in the Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16534-5_9

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