Seminar Abstract:
Nanosized particles (<100 nm in diameter) possess unique physicochemical properties that hold the promise of significant advances in electronics, diagnostics, and therapeutic agents. There has consequently been an explosion in the manufacture of nanomaterials with great diversity in terms of their physicochemical properties. With the technological advances and increased production of nanomaterials comes a growing concern about unintentional exposures in occupational and environmental settings and consequent adverse health outcomes. There are many challenges to addressing these concerns, including: a dearth of nanoparticle-specific exposure characterization; questions regarding the applicability of existing exposure-effect data; poor understanding of target organs and target organ doses; evaluating the adequacy of in vitro and in vivo exposure models; and little understanding of response mechanisms at realistic doses. The great diversity of nanoparticles in terms of their physicochemical properties adds another level of complexity to these challenges. This talk will focus on the knowledge gaps regarding the toxicological assessments for nanomaterials, in particular the correlations that need to be developed between physicochemical properties and health outcome measures to keep pace with hazard characterizations for existing and new products. Such correlations will contribute to risk estimations for human exposures to nanoparticles.