Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 13
Nanoecotoxicology: The State of the Art
Hudson C. Polonini and Roberta Brayner
Abstract Manufactured nanomaterials are used in many commercially available
consumer products, such as cosmetics, textiles, and paints. Due to the increasing
production volumes, environmental exposure to these materials is evident. Here, we
will discuss the toxicological impact of some nanomaterials, such as ZnO, TiO
2
,
and BaTiO
3
nanoparticles on aquatic microorganisms by giving some examples. It
is clear that the physicochemical properties as well as the structure and morphology
of nanomaterials have a high influence on toxicity. We will emphasize the impor-
tance of nanomaterial characterization before biological tests.
13.1
Introduction
The study, production, and usage of nanomaterials are currently a fact. These
materials have gone through a very fast development, and, as a consequence, a
vast amount of products can be found in the market with a “nano” prefix in their
names, symbolizing that they contain a “whole new technology” for consumers—
whether this is true or only a marketing strategy. However, this rapid development
and spread of nanomaterials in the contemporary world can put them in contact with
living organisms in situations not yet fully understood. By living organisms, we
mean every single organism contained in the environment (Handy et al.
2008
;
Cullen et al.
2011
).
Until now, some studies have shown that nanoscale particles can lead to unex-
pected and different ecotoxicological effects caused by the source material, even
