Nanoparticle Collection
The rapid development of nanomaterials has led to an increase in the number and variety of engineered nanoparticles in the environment We are continuously exposed to products containing engineered nanomaterials as well as natural nanoparticles. Examples include batteries, catalysts, chemical coatings, packaging, electronic devices, biomedicines , cosmetics, dusts (silica) and pollutants . The expanding production of nanoparticles has led to serious concerns regarding their impact on human health and the environment in general. Nanoparticles (NPs) are easily dispersed in air and inhaled because of their nanoscale size. Given their increasing use in sunscreens, cosmetics and other personal products they may enter the bloodstream by permeation through skin . NPs are also found in pesticides, food products and packaging, and may enter the body via digestion. Medical implants are another source of NPs in the human body. NPs may also enter the body directly as nanomedicines or as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents . In this collection we explore the role of nanoparticles in the body; for nanomedicine as well as more generally.
Edited by
Nick Quirke, FRSC CChem Prof. of Chemical Physics.(Department of Chemistry, Imperial College)