Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
An increase in scientific studies dedicated to health risks following oral
exposure to nanosized substances has been observed in the last few years
(Card and Magnuson 2009). Some studies have demonstrated that oral
administration of metal nanoparticles, often used in nanofoods, present
higher-risk factors than larger-sized particles (notably in terms of translo-
cation in the gastrointestinal tract and distribution to various organs and
tissues) (Chaudhry 2010). Other studies highlight the fact that many
in vivo
research is for acute exposition (Card et al. 2010) and that dietary matrices,
because of their vast complexity, would generate some difficulties in analyz-
ing the results (Bouwmeester et al. 2009).
“There are only a limited number of published oral toxicity studies on
some classes of ENMs, with those on solid particulates largely limited to
insoluble metals and metal oxides. The quality of many of these studies is
questionable, severely limiting the use of this information for risk assess-
ment purposes (EFSA 2009). Common limitations include use of a single size
of ENM, poorly characterized ENM, administration of ENMs at unrealisti-
cally high doses, study of only a narrow range of biological parameters, or
omission of an appropriate larger particle of the same composition and a sol-
uble form of the parent material as comparators to allow distinction between
the effects of particle sizes and those of release of particle surface material
into solution (Oberdörster et al. 2007). This leads to the conclusion that the
current state of knowledge does not permit reliable prediction of the toxico-
logical characteristics of any given ENM from data on other ENMs or from a
consideration of the characteristics of the ENM itself. The capacity to predict
computationally (e.g., using QSAR) the toxicological properties of conven-
tional materials, however, although considerably greater than for ENMs, is
nonetheless limited and of variable reliability” (FAO/WHO 2009).
Given the presence of nanofood products in the market, exposition to
nanoparticles via food supplies is very likely, especially considering that
“Exposure to nanomaterials in the human food chain may occur not only
through intentional uses in food manufacturing, but also via uses in agri-
cultural production and carry over from use in other industries” (Magnuson
et al. 2011).
6.6 Conclusion
Keeping in mind the importance of public investments in the development
of nanotechnologies, it is paradoxical to see that these same public authori-
ties (1) have established no regulatory, legal or assessment framework in
line with the potential impacts of these productions or able to limit or pre-
vent its risks; (2) no analytical framework permitting the understanding of
global social, environmental, and health issues; (3) nor the appreciation of
