Impacts of Nanomaterials in the Environment

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 8869

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
LAQV/REQUIMTE & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: phytotoxicity; nanotoxicity; plant stress biology; nanothecnology; plant stress mitigation; metabolomics
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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: cytotoxicity; genotoxicity; nanoparticles for biological applications; nanotoxicity; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology has gained growing importance in diverse fields of science, medicine, economy and industry. Nevertheless, the generalized use of nanomaterials (NM) lead to their release (direct or indirect) to the environment and consequent interaction with natural systems. Several studies have highlighted the potential toxicity of nanomaterials for humans, animals and plants, raising the concern about NM presence in the environment, their fate and impact. On the other hand, NM may display beneficial effects (e.g. in plants) when used under specific circumstances. So, it is crucial to unveil the conditions under which NM are toxic and ensure that toxicological studies are performed using environmentally relevant NM concentrations. We are pleased to invite you to submit articles to this Special Issue on “Impacts of Nanomaterials in the Environment”.

This special issue aims to provide a concentrated venue to publish relevant research on the field of NM toxicity, taking in particular considerations studies using NM doses with environmental relevance. In this Special Issue, authors are invited to submit original research papers and reviews that deal with the determination of NP concentration in the environment, fate and impact in plants and humans. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • NM concentration and fate in terrestrial environments
  • Uptake and effects of relevant NM in plants species, namely in plant metabolism
  • Assessment of the effects of environmentally relevant NM concentrations in humans, including in-vitro toxicological assays
  • Interactions of NM with other contaminants present in soil
  • Role of NM in alleviating plant stress 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sónia Silva
Dr. Helena Oliveira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Plant metabolism
  • phytotoxicity
  • Environmental concentrations
  • Cytotoxicity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 2731 KiB  
Article
Impact of Particle Size on Toxicity, Tissue Distribution and Excretion Kinetics of Subchronic Intratracheal Instilled Silver Nanoparticles in Mice
by Fernanda Rosário, Jan Creylman, Geert Verheyen, Sabine Van Miert, Conceição Santos, Peter Hoet and Helena Oliveira
Toxics 2022, 10(5), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10050260 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3830
Abstract
The unique physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) make them useful in a wide range of sectors, increasing their propensity for human exposure, as well as the need for thorough toxicological assessment. The biodistribution of silver, hematological parameters and GSH/GSSG levels in the [...] Read more.
The unique physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) make them useful in a wide range of sectors, increasing their propensity for human exposure, as well as the need for thorough toxicological assessment. The biodistribution of silver, hematological parameters and GSH/GSSG levels in the lung and liver were studied in mice that were intratracheally instilled with AgNP (5 and 50 nm) and AgNO3 once a week for 5 weeks, followed by a recovery period of up to 28 days (dpi). Data was gathered to build a PBPK model after the entry of AgNPs into the lungs. AgNPs could be absorbed into the blood and might cross the physiological barriers and be distributed extensively in mice. Similar to AgNO3, AgNP5 induced longer-lasting toxicity toward blood cells and increased GSH levels in the lung. The exposure to AgNP50 increased the GSH from 1 dpi onward in the liver and silver was distributed to the organs after exposure, but its concentration decreased over time. In AgNP5 treated mice, silver levels were highest in the spleen, kidney, liver and blood, persisting for at least 28 days, suggesting accumulation. The major route for excretion seemed to be through the urine, despite a high concentration of AgNP5 also being found in feces. The modeled silver concentration was in line with the in vivo data for the heart and liver. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Nanomaterials in the Environment)
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Review

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30 pages, 660 KiB  
Review
Titanium and Zinc Based Nanomaterials in Agriculture: A Promising Approach to Deal with (A)biotic Stresses?
by Sónia Silva, Maria Celeste Dias and Artur M. S. Silva
Toxics 2022, 10(4), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10040172 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4268
Abstract
Abiotic stresses, such as those induced by climatic factors or contaminants, and biotic stresses prompted by phytopathogens and pests inflict tremendous losses in agriculture and are major threats to worldwide food security. In addition, climate changes will exacerbate these factors as well as [...] Read more.
Abiotic stresses, such as those induced by climatic factors or contaminants, and biotic stresses prompted by phytopathogens and pests inflict tremendous losses in agriculture and are major threats to worldwide food security. In addition, climate changes will exacerbate these factors as well as their negative impact on crops. Drought, salinity, heavy metals, pesticides, and drugs are major environmental problems that need deep attention, and effective and sustainable strategies to mitigate their effects on the environment need to be developed. Besides, sustainable solutions for agrocontrol must be developed as alternatives to conventional agrochemicals. In this sense, nanotechnology offers promising solutions to mitigate environmental stress effects on plants, increasing plant tolerance to the stressor, for the remediation of environmental contaminants, and to protect plants against pathogens. In this review, nano-sized TiO2 (nTiO2) and ZnO (nZnO) are scrutinized, and their potential to ameliorate drought, salinity, and xenobiotics effects in plants are emphasized, in addition to their antimicrobial potential for plant disease management. Understanding the level of stress alleviation in plants by these nanomaterials (NM) and relating them with the application conditions/methods is imperative to define the most sustainable and effective approaches to be adopted. Although broad-spectrum reviews exist, this article provides focused information on nTiO2 and nZnO for improving our understanding of the ameliorative potential that these NM show, addressing the gaps in the literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Nanomaterials in the Environment)
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