Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Toxicity of Nanomaterials

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology

Abstract

In principle, nanomaterials can be defined as materials with a dimension measured within 1–100 nm. Due to their size and high surface to volume ratio, nanomaterials offer various different advantages and versatile abilities compared to the bulk-form of the same materials. Nanomaterials are used in multi-industries ranging from healthcare, cosmetics, environmental preservation, and air purification to military and sports. The application of nano-titanium dioxide is extended in self-cleaning coating in plastic chairs surfaces and walls. Zinc oxide nanowires play a role in polluted water treatment and can be found in flexible solar cells. The use of nanomaterials in generating energy such as in solar panels, enhances efficiency and is cost effective. The revolutionary development in nanomaterials urge for more research in ensuring the safety aspects of the materials to the consumers and environment. The particle size, surface area, shape of particles, surface charge, composition and surface roughness are some physicochemical properties that are responsible to cause toxicity of nanomaterials. Exposure via inhalation and ingestion are considered to open up the route to intoxication of nanomaterials. Engineered nanoparticles may end up accumulating to a larger size in lakes and rivers, inducing decline in life of freshwater species in terms of growth and reproduction. Not only that, accumulation of nanomaterials in soils through sewage sludge is also an additional concern. This chapter will highlight the synthesis of nanoparticles by means of plant-based and microorganism-based approaches and the factors affecting the production of nanomaterials. The application of nanomaterials in medicine, agriculture and sports as well as the toxic effect of nanomaterials to humans and the environment synthesis will also be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ayuk EL, Ugwu MO, Aronimo SB (2017) A review on synthetic methods of nanostructured materials. Chem Res J 2(5):97–123

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhavani P, Rajababu CH, Arif MD, Reddy IVS, Reddy NR (2017) Synthesis of high saturation magnetic iron oxide nanomaterials via low temperature hydrothermal method. J Magn Magn Mater 426:459–466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • da Costa LP (2020) Engineered nanomaterials in the sports industry. In: Hussain CM (ed) Handbook of nanomaterials for manufacturing applications, 1st edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 309–319

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Darbandi M, Stromberg F, Landers J, Reckers N, Sanyal B, Keune W, Wende H (2012) Nanoscale size effect on surface spin canting in iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized by the microemulsion method. J Phys D Appl Phys 45(19):195001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawood TN, Kareem EH (2020) Effect of nanomaterial on animal and human health: a review. Plant Archives 20(1):2530–2536

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolores R, Raquel S, Adianez GL (2015) Sonochemical synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles loaded with folate and cisplatin: effect of ultrasonic frequency. Ultrason Sonochem 23:391–398

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganguly P, Breen A, Pillai SC (2018) Toxicity of nanomaterials: exposure, pathways, assessment, and recent advances. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 4:2237–2275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gul S, Khan SB, Rehman IU, Khan M, Khan MI (2019) A comprehensive review of magnetic nanomaterials modern day theranostics. Front Mater 6:179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harifi T, Montazer M (2015) Application of nanotechnology in sports clothing and flooring for enhanced sport activities, performance, efficiency and comfort: a review. J Ind Text 0(00):1–23

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hedayatnasab Z, Abnisa F, Daud WMAW (2017) Review on magnetic nanoparticles for magnetic nanofluid hyperthermia application. Mater Des 123:174–196

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hernández-Díaz JA, Garza-García JJO, Zamudio-Ojeda A, León-Morales JM, López-Velázquez JC, García-Morales S (2020) Plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens. J Sci Food Agric 101(4):1270–1287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janib SM, Moses AS, MacKay JA (2010) Imaging and drug delivery using theranostic nanoparticles. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 62(11):1052–1063

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jin R, Lin B, Li D, Ai H (2014) Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for MR imaging and therapy: design considerations and clinical applications. Curr Opin Pharmacol 18:18–27

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kayani ZN, Arshad S, Riaz S, Naseem S (2014) Synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by sol–gel technique and their characterization. IEEE Trans Magn 50(8):1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan H, Bera S, Sarkar S, Jana S (2017) Fabrication, structural evaluation, optical and photoelectrochemical properties of soft lithography based 1D/2D surface patterned indium titanium oxide solgel thin film. Surf Coat Technol 328:410–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan I, Saeed K, Khan I (2019) Nanoparticles: properties, applications and toxicities. Arab J Chem 12(7):908–931

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kranjc E, Drobne D (2019) Nanomaterials in plants: a review of hazard and applications in the agri-food sector. Nano 9:1094

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Masthoff IC, Kraken M, Menzel D, Litterst FJ, Garnweitner G (2016) Study of the growth of hydrophilic iron oxide nanoparticles obtained via the non-aqueous sol–gel method. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 77(3):553–564

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McMahon MT, Bulte JW (2018) Two decades of dendrimers as versatile MRI agents: a tale with and without metals. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 10(3):1496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mogharabi M, Abdollahi M, Faramarzi MA (2014) Toxicity of nanomaterials: an undermined issue. J Pharm Sci 22:59

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller P, Jacobsen NR, Folkmann JK, Danielsen PH, Mikkelsen L, Hemmingsen JG, Vesterdal LK, Forchhammer L, Wallin H, Loft S (2010) Role of oxidative damage in toxicity of particulates. Free Radic Res 44(1):1–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nourafkan E, Asachi M, Gao H, Raza G, Wen D (2017) Synthesis of stable iron oxide nanoparticle dispersions in high ionic media. J Ind Eng Chem 50:57–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pal G, Rai P, Pandey A (2019) Green synthesis of nanoparticles: a greener approach for a cleaner future. In: Ashutosh KS, Siavash I (eds) Green synthesis, characterization and applications of nanoparticles. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 1–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Paramo LA, Feregrino-Pérez AA, Guevara R, Mendoza S, Esquivel K (2020) Nanoparticles in agroindustry: applications, toxicity, challenges, and trends. Nano 10:1654

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patra JK, Baek KH (2014) Green nanobiotechnology: factors affecting synthesis and characterization techniques. J Nanomater 2014(417305):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao SZ, Liu J, Max Lu GQ (2017) Synthetic chemistry of nanomaterial. In: Xu R, Xu Y (eds) Modern inorganic synthetic chemistry, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 613–640

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rana S, Kalaichelvan PT (2013) Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles. Int Sch Res Notices 2013(574648):1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Rani S, Varma GD (2015) Superparamagnetism and metamagnetic transition in Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized via co-precipitation method at different pH. Phys B Condens Matter 472:66–77

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rezaei M, Hosseini SN, Khavari-Nejad RA, Najafi F, Mahdavi M (2019) HBs antigen and mannose loading on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles in order to immuno-targeting: fabrication, characterization, cellular and humoral immunoassay. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol 47(1):1543–1558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rudramurthy GR, Swamy MK (2018) Potential applications of engineered nanoparticles in medicine and biology: an update. J Biol Inorg Chem 23(8):1185–1204

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahu SC, Hayes AW (2017) Toxicity of nanomaterials found in human environment: a literature review. Toxicol Res Appl 1:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Saleem K, Khursheed Z, Hano C, Anjum I, Anjum S (2019) Applications of nanomaterials in leishmaniasis: a focus on recent advances and challenges. Nano 9:1749

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schleich N, Danhier F, Préat V (2015) Iron oxide-loaded nanotheranostics: major obstacles to in vivo studies and clinical translation. J Control Release 198:35–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqi KS, ur Rahman A, Husen A (2016) Biogenic fabrication of iron/iron oxide nanoparticles and their application. Nanoscale Res Lett 11(1):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toyos-Rodríguez C, Calleja-García J, Torres-Sánchez L, López A, Abu-Dief AM, Costa A, Elbaile L, Crespo RD, Garitaonandia JS, Lastra E, García-Alonso FJ (2019) A simple and reliable synthesis of superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of Fe(acac)3. J Nanomater 2019

    Google Scholar 

  • Unsoy G, Yalcin S, Khodadust R, Gunduz G, Gunduz U (2012) Synthesis optimization and characterization of chitosan-coated iron oxide nanoparticles produced for biomedical applications. J Nanopart Res 14(11):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wahajuddin, Arora S (2012) Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: magnetic nanoplatforms as drug carriers. Int J Nanomedicine 7:3445–3471

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang J, Cao W, Rui Y (2017) Interactions between nanoparticles and plants: phytotoxicity and defense mechanisms. J Plant Interact 12(1):158–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Nur Khalida Rahayu Zainon & Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah

  2. Material Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah

  3. UPM-MAKNA Cancer Research Laboratory, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah

  4. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nazzatush Shimar Jamaludin

Authors
  1. Nur Khalida Rahayu Zainon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nazzatush Shimar Jamaludin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nazzatush Shimar Jamaludin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of, Jalandhar, Punjab, India

    Uma Shanker

  2. Chemistry and EVSC, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA

    Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain

  3. Malaviya National Institute of Technolog, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Manviri Rani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Zainon, N.K.R., Abdullah, C.A.C., Jamaludin, N.S. (2022). Toxicity of Nanomaterials. In: Shanker, U., Hussain, C.M., Rani, M. (eds) Handbook of Green and Sustainable Nanotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69023-6_37-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69023-6_37-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-69023-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-69023-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation