The impact of nanoparticle aggregation in liquid solution for toxicological and ecotoxicological studies

Abstract

Given the widespread applications of nanotechnology products, the evaluation of the potential hazards related to human exposures and environmental release of nanoparticles has become an urgent need. The development of a safety database for nanoscale particles is evolving as new particles, materials and exposure scenarios are being developed. Several studies have been focused on the importance of developing adequate physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials, in the relevant media being utilized, prior to undertaking experiments for in vitro and in vivo toxicity assessment. In this work we utilize two optical techniques: Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Time Resolved Fluorescence Polarization Anisotropy (TRFPA) for measuring particle size, size distribution and aggregation kinetics of nanoparticles in aqueous solution for toxicological and ecotoxicological studies. The application of these two optical methods gives a careful description of the aggregation status of nanoparticles and its evolution on different time-scale. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.