Nanos and Health
Nanos and health
In many fields (cosmetics, food, textiles, construction, medicine, etc.), manufactured nanomaterials are increasingly used for their specific properties (anti-bacterial properties, modification of appearance, color, texture, etc.). However, these same “desirable” properties can lead to undesirable effects on health, where many uncertainties and concerns remain: due to their increased reactivity, nanomaterials are indeed likely to cause toxicity and potentially stronger inflammatory effects than “conventional” materials of the same chemical nature.
The studies carried out so far are mainly in vitro while the in vivo studies are mainly in animals with toxic effects on the heart, liver, spleen, stomach and kidneys.
The results are not all necessarily applicable to humans but still provide valuable information on the potential adverse health effects.
According to a scientific paper published in 2021, the nanoparticles with the greatest risk to human health are nano-TiO2 (titanium dioxide), silver nanoparticles, silicon dioxide (silica) and carbon nanotubes.
The information sheets on the topic
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Other news on the topic
Upcoming Nano Agenda
- Spectacle Art & Science – When science changes as it passes from mouth to mouth
- A unique participatory experience centered on the human factory of knowledge, where two fascinating worlds meet: nanomedicine, with its nanoparticles and cellular nanovectors, and quantum physics, with its superimposed states and complex systems.
- Organizers: Centre National de Compétences en Nanosciences (C’Nano), in collaboration with the Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), the Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IPP) and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).
- Speakers: Florence Gazeau, academician, physicist, research director at CNRS, and Charles Antoine, PhD in physics, lecturer at Sorbonne University, and Albert Moukheiber, PhD in neuroscience.
- Location: Théâtre de la Ville
- Website: https: //www.theatredelaville-paris.com/…/rencontres/nano-rumeurs…
- 8th Congress of Occupational Medicine and Health (CNMST 2026)
- Theme 5: Emerging pathologies and risks, Mr Henri Bastos (ANSES), Pr Lynda Bensefa-Colas (AP-HP), Dr Catherine Nisse (CHU Lille)
- Website: www.medecine-sante-travail.com
- 20th meeting of the “nano and health” dialogue committee
- Organizer: ANSES
This sheet was originally created in February 2019