| Nanoparticles: Health Effects—Pros and Cons Maureen R. Gwinn and Val Vallyathan National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA Abstract
With the advent of nanotechnology, the prospects for using engineered nanomaterials with diameters of < 100 nm in industrial applications, medical imaging, disease diagnoses, drug delivery, cancer treatment, gene therapy, and other areas have progressed rapidly. The potential for nanoparticles (NPs) in these areas is infinite, with novel new applications constantly being explored. The possible toxic health effects of these NPs associated with human exposure are unknown. Many fine particles generally considered "nuisance dusts" are likely to acquire unique surface properties when engineered to nanosize and may exhibit toxic biological effects. Consequently, the nuisance dust may be transported to distant sites and could induce adverse health effects. In addition the beneficial uses of NPs in drug delivery, cancer treatment, and gene therapy may cause unintentional human exposure. Because of our lack of knowledge about the health effects associated with NP exposure, we have an ethical duty to take precautionary measures regarding their use. In this review we highlight the possible toxic human health effects that can result from exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs) generated by anthropogenic activities and their cardiopulmonary outcomes. The comparability of engineered NPs to UFPs suggests that the human health effects are likely to be similar. Therefore, it is prudent to elucidate their toxicologic effect to minimize occupational and environmental exposure. Highlighting the human health outcomes caused by UFPs is not intended to give a lesser importance to either the unprecedented technologic and industrial rewards of the nanotechnology or their beneficial human uses. Key words: cons, nanoparticle toxicity, nanotechnology, pros. Environ Health Perspect 114: 1818–1825 (2006) . doi:10.1289/ehp.8871 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 18 August 2006]
Address correspondence to V. Vallyathan, NIOSH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1095 Willowdale Rd., Morgantown, WV 26505 USA. Telephone: (304) 285-5770. Fax: (304) 285-5938. E-mail: vav1@cdc.gov Supplemental Material is available online (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8871/supplemental. pdf) . The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 21 November 2005 ; accepted 17 August 2006.
The full version of this article is available for free in HTML or PDF formats. |
