ATTI 79° CONGRESSO NAZIONALE SIML
15 April 2025
Vol. 38 No. 3 (2016)
Adverse health effects following exposure to engineered nanomaterials
[Effetti nocivi sulla salute in seguito all'esposizione a nanomateriali ingegnerizzati]
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Advances in nanotechnology have enabled fabrication of nanomaterials with defined structures that areincreasingly being used for commercial purposes. Unlike chemical toxins, nanomaterials have unique interactions with macromolecules and cells based on their molecular size and interfacial physiochemistry. Adverse human health impacts due to occupational and environmental exposures to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are therefore of concern. Although the impact of ENMs on biological systems is still not clearly understood, strong evidence suggests that nanomaterials are present in human fluids and tissues. Effective and feasible hazard assessment of ENMs is urgently needed to guide regulation and policy-making and support the development of benign next generation ENMs. Beyond the physical parameters of the NMs themselves, the surrounding biological system has been shown to influence NM behavior, the nano-cellular interface, and subsequent biological responses.
It has recently been established that ENMs, upon entry into a physiological environment, exhibit a tendency of physical adsorption with proteins, peptides, lipids and amino acids to render a "biocorona" that may influence the bioavailability and distribution of ENMs within the host system, at the cellular, tissue and whole organism level. Consequently, research on the health and safety implications of ENMs must include assessments of how the biocorona may impact toxicity and lead to a new 'biological' identity of the ENM.
Although ongoing research suggests that almost every organ and organ system may be affected by ENMs, in this review we will focus on the main pathogenetic mechanisms and on key organ and organ systems such as the lung, the skin and the gastro-intestinal tract; we will also highlight several challenges associated with a comprehensive evaluation of their toxicity, including the vast and diverse array of ENM products, dependence on physicochemical characteristics and exposure matrices, and difficulties in quantifying dosimetry and dose-response. Possible attempts to overcome these challenges are also discussed.
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How to Cite
Adverse health effects following exposure to engineered nanomaterials: [Effetti nocivi sulla salute in seguito all’esposizione a nanomateriali ingegnerizzati]. (2025). Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 38(3), 140-143. https://doi.org/10.4081/gimle.682
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