Nanomaterials and Cell Interactions: A Review

Nanotoxicology, a branch of bionanoscience focuses on the study of the hazardous interactions between nanomaterials and the ecosystem and ascertaining its consequent implications. Nanomaterial-cell interactions are dependent on numerous factors such as size, shape, type and surface coatings/charge of nanomaterials. These factors in association with cell membrane factors such as charge and formation of the protein corona influence the uptake and internalization of these particles leading to their potential toxicity. Understanding the different routes of exposure, their transport, behaviour and eventual fate is also of importance. Toxicities that occur to the living systems are consequences of various causes/dysfunctions such as ROS production, loss of membrane integrity, releases of toxic metal ions that bind with specific cell receptors and undergo certain conformations that inhibit normal cell function resulting in cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and possible cell necrosis. This paper attempts to review the available research pertaining to nanomaterial-cell interactions and their potential toxicity.

Nanotechnology in Diagnosis: A Review

The fast pace of today’s world has presented several challenges in the area of healthcare. Depression, hypertension, diabetes, cancers and several infectious diseases are just some of the common outcomes associated with the high speed stress-filled lifestyle. Early diagnosis has been the goal for prompt arrest and management of these health conditions. This has been a challenge in recent times. However, great scientific advancement with improved potential in medical diagnosis has equally been a giant stride in times like these. Early disease detection even before symptoms’ presentation, improved imaging of internal body structure, as well as ease of diagnostic procedures, have been developed with the help of a new branch of laboratory medicine termed nanodiagnostics. Use of microchips, biosensors, nanorobots, nano identification of single celled structures, and microelectromechanical systems are current techniques being developed for use in nanodiagnostics. This piece of write up takes a panoramic view of available nanotechnological advances in current use for medical diagnosis and projecting into future possibilities and potentials for an improved health care delivery.

Distribution,sources and risk of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor dusts from electronic repair workshops in southern Nigeria

This study evaluates the characteristic levels,sources and risk of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)in indoor dusts from electronic repair workshops in southern Nigeria.The dust samples were collected by gentle sweeping with a brush and dustpan,and subsequently dried and extracted with hexane/dichloromethane by ultrasonication.The extracts were purified on a silica gel/alumina column,and then analysed for their PAH content by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.The concentrations of PAHs in the electronic repair workshop dusts ranged between 205 and 2963 mg kg
1.The compositional patterns indicate the dominance of 5-and 3-ring PAH homologues.The estimated benzo[a]pyrene carcinogenic(BaPTEQ)and mutagenic(BaPMEQ)potency concentrations ranged from 67 to 401 mg kg^-1 and 56.5e277 mg kg^-1 respectively.The non-cancer risk(hazard index,HI)arising from human contact with PAHs in the electronic repair workshop dusts were less than one for all human subject age groups indicating that there is no considerable non-cancer risk.The cancer risk values for the ingestion and dermal contact routes were greater than the acceptable risk of 10^-6,which suggests that there is a considerable cancer risk associated with unconscious ingestion and dermal contact with dust particles from these electronic repair workshops.The isomeric ratios for the PAHs in the dust samples and principal component analysis suggest that combustion of biomass and vehicular emissions were responsible for the presence of PAHs in the electronic repair workshop dusts.