Nanoparticles (NPs), particles defined by their size in a single dimension (1-100 nm), are being increasingly incorporated into commercial and industrial products due to their high surface area to volume ratio that gives them unique properties, such as optical tunability and higher reactivity than their bulk counterparts. NPs can be...
Emerging data showing the presence of atmospheric microplastics (MPs) has recently raised awareness surrounding the potential of human nanoplastics (NPs) exposure. Due to factors such as weathering, UV exposure, and other biodegradation processes, plastic pollution in the environment breaks down over time into micro (<5 micrometers) and nanoscale (<1000nm) particles....
Within the past two decades, the rise of nanotechnology has provided various technological and industrial sectors with avenues for significant growth and improvements to existing practices. With the inherent qualities which make materials on the nanoscale unique in behavior and function, there are limitless applications of nanotechnology. One of the...
The low risk and sustainable implementation of nanotechnology requires understanding how nanomaterial physicochemical properties influence their toxicity. Major drivers of toxicity need to be avoided while maximizing product efficacy so nanomaterials can be produced to best serve their applications and be of low risk when intentionally or unintentionally released into...
Nanotechnology products have long since made their way to markets around the world increasing the concerns about whether nanomaterials pose a risk to our environment or health. It has been suggested that engineered nanomaterial (ENM) with broad applications and rapid commercialization need better risk assessment and regulation. However, the refinement...
The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is tightly regulated in biological systems as overproduction can lead to oxidative stress and result in a number of diseases. Due to its negative effects, antioxidants are studied and used against ROS in medicine, pharmaceuticals and therapeutics. Because of issues with the uptake...
Characterizing the hydrophobicity of nanoparticles can help us understand their fate and transport in the environment, as well as how nanoparticles may interact with biological systems. However, contact angle and partition coefficient have limitations in measuring the hydrophobicity of nanoparticles, thus promising methods to measuring the hydrophobicity of nanoparticles are...
Many studies addressing the toxicity of silver nanomaterials have found that smaller sized silver nanoparticles are usually more toxic to organisms and in cell culture than particles of larger sizes yet it is not entirely clear why. We investigated the size dependent toxicity of silver nanoparticles by measuring the response...