Nanotoxicity: Environmental fate and ecotoxicity of nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanotechnology and the use of nanomaterials is a new area of science and is emerging rapidly day by day. Due to increased surface area, reactivity and advanced characteristics nanoparticles have many applications in diverse fields. Varieties of nanoparticles are manufactured like fullerenns, carbon nanotube, metals, metals oxides, q-dots, etc. These nanoparticles enter into the environment through waste products and cause negative effects on flora and fauna of the ecosystem. Due to small size and high reactivity, nanoparticles can enter into living organisms also and cause oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. Number of studies have been carried out to manifest ecotoxicity of nanoparticles and were found to be highly toxic to the organisms. Therefore it is urgent need to undergo detailed research on the ecotoxicity of nanoparticles and to develop methods to remediate them from the environment. Otherwise situation may become worse in the future. © 2017 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.