Toxicology of Engineered Metal Nanoparticles

The wide interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology leads to an ever-increasing presence of nanomaterials in the environment that in turn may be associated with potentially new and largely undefined risks for the human health and for the environment. We reviewed the experimental data on the ecotoxicology of engineered nanometals following their intentional, unavoidable or accidental dispersion in the environment, together with the benefits of their use for bioremediation. Two potential threats for the human health, the carcinogenic and allergenic risks, have been subsequently evaluated in in vitro and in vivo systems. Lung and skin inflammation and possibly mutagenesis are the mainly documented effects, but the available data remain scarce and fragmentary, and toxicity is shared by both metallic and non-metallic nanomaterials. The conclusive paragraph discusses the use of nanometals in traditional medicine and the development of metal based nanodrugs. A careful evaluation of risks and benefits is mandatory even in this case. Keywords: allergy; cancer; ecotoxicology; magnetic nanoparticles; nanomedicine; nanotoxicology