Nanoparticle risk informatics

Article By:

Goldsmith, Michael R. National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Vallero, Daniel A. National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Last reviewed:November 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.443925

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• Nanoparticle risk informatics, published December 2012:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

The use of analysis tools in conjunction with databases to study and to predict exposures and hazards of nanoparticles. The potential of risk from chemical ingredients in products is affected by the physical and chemical properties of the compound and the other substances in the product. For example, a chemical compound may be more or less hazardous, depending on its product formulation (that is, an impregnated solid suspension versus a chemical solution). Recently, there has been much interest in the role that the size of a particle plays in chemical hazard and exposure potential. In particular, do very small particles cause greater chemical risk than larger particles with the same chemical composition (Fig. 1)? For example, nanoparticles are less than 100 nm in at least one dimension. Do particles comprised of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) that are smaller than 100 nm exhibit different toxicity or exposure than larger TiO₂ particles? See also: Nanoparticle; Nanotechnology; Titanium oxides; Toxicology

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