Nanotoxicology and Safety Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials are central to innovations in medicine, electronics, cosmetics and environmental remediation, yet their unique size-dependent properties pose novel challenges for human health and ecological safety. Nanotoxicology examines how particle size, shape, surface chemistry and aggregation influence cellular uptake, biopersistence, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses across diverse biological systems. A key focus of safety assessment is the integration of physicochemical characterisation with in vitro and in vivo toxicological data to establish reliable dose–response relationships and hazard identification. Regulatory frameworks increasingly adopt tiered approaches, grouping and read-across strategies to cope with the vast diversity of nanoforms while reducing animal testing. Lifecycle transformations—such as dissolution, surface oxidation and protein corona formation—modulate exposure profiles and complicate risk assessment. Advanced tools including high-throughput screening, organ-on-chip technologies and computational models are enhancing predictivity and mechanistic understanding. Interdisciplinary collaboration among toxicologists, material scientists, regulators and industry stakeholders is driving the development of standardised dispersion protocols, harmonised test methods and consensus on meaningful exposure metrics. Together, these efforts aim to ensure that the continued expansion of nanotechnology is matched by robust and adaptive safety evaluation, safeguarding both public health and environmental integrity.

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Nanotoxicology and Safety Assessment of Engineered Nanomaterials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanotoxicology and safety assessment of engineered nanomaterials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Physicochemical properties: The physical and chemical characteristics of a nanomaterial such as size, shape, surface charge and composition that influence its environmental behaviour and biological interactions.

Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment (IATA): A tiered, hypothesis-driven framework that integrates existing data and targeted testing to support grouping, read-across and regulatory decision-making.

Read-across: The practice of inferring hazard or exposure data for one nanomaterial based on data from another similar material within a defined group.

NOAEC (No Observed Adverse Effect Concentration): The highest concentration of a substance in a study at which no statistically or biologically significant adverse effects are observed.

Agglomeration: The process by which nanoparticles cluster together, affecting their effective size, surface area and biological interactions.

References

1. An integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) to support grouping and read-across of nanomaterials in aquatic systems. Nano Today (2024).
2. Guidance on risk assessment of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in the food and feed chain: Part 1, human and animal health. EFSA Journal (2018).
3. An in vitro alveolar macrophage assay for predicting the short-term inhalation toxicity of nanomaterials. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2016).