January 2018
Beginner to intermediate
312 pages
11h 48m
English
The primary hazard posed by nanoparticles is due to their penetration into the human body — mainly by respiration, or a dermal or oral route. The ease of penetration is size-, shape-, and substance-dependent. Once inside the body, they may be widely distributed by the vascular system. Some nano-objects have been shown to be able to traverse the blood–brain barrier. There is still controversy regarding the actual mechanism of harm, which is certainly likely to be substance-dependent. Many nano-objects cause inflammation; highly elongated objects (nanofibers, which include carbon nanotubes) cannot be cleared by pinocytosis nor by phagocytosis; the inflammation becomes chronic, ...