An
international team of scientists has completed the first ever study into the
potential impact of naturally occurring and man-made nanoparticles on the
health of all types of the major living species of animals.
Conceived
by researchers at the University of Plymouth, as part of the EU Nanofase
project, the study assessed how the guts of species from honey bees to humans
could protect against the bioaccumulation and toxicological effects of
engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) found within the environment.
It showed
that the digestive systems of many species have evolved to act as a barrier
guarding against the absorption of potentially damaging particles.
However, invertebrates such as earthworms also have roving cells within their guts, which can take up ENMs and transfer them to the gut wall.
This
represents an additional risk for many invertebrate species where the particles
can be absorbed via these roving cells, with consequent effects on internal
organs having the potential to cause lasting damage.
Fortunately,
this process is not replicated in humans and other vertebrate animals, however
there is still the potential for nanomaterials to have a negative impact
through the food chain.
The study,
published in the July edition of Environmental Science: Nano, involved
scientists from the UK, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Portugal and focused on
particles measuring up to 100 nanometres.
It
combined existing and new research into species including insects and other
invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals, as well as identifying knowledge gaps
on reptiles and amphibians. The study provides the first comprehensive overview
of how differences in gut structure can affect the impact of ENMs across the
animal kingdom.
Richard
Handy, Professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Plymouth and
the study's senior author, said:
"This
is a seminal piece work that combines nearly 100 years of zoology research with
our current understanding of nanotechnology.
"The
threats posed by engineered nanomaterials are becoming better known, but this
study provides the first comprehensive and species-level assessment of how they
might pose current and future threats. It should set the foundations for
understanding the dietary hazard in the animal kingdom."
Nanomaterials
come in three forms—naturally occurring, incidentally occurring from human
activities, and deliberately manufactured—and their use has increased
exponentially in the last decade.
They have
consistently found new applications in a wide variety of industrial sectors,
including electrical appliances, medicines, cleaning products and textiles.
Professor
Handy, who has advised organisations including the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development and the United States National Nanotechnology
Initiative, added:
"Nanoparticles
are far too small for the human eye to see but that doesn't mean they cannot
cause harm to living species. The review element of this study has shown they
have actually been written about for many decades, but it is only recently that
we have begun to understand the various ways they occur and now the extent to
which they can be taken up. Our new EU project, NanoHarmony, looks to build on
that knowledge and we are currently working with Public Health England and
others to expand our method for detecting nanomaterials in tissues for food
safety and other public health matters."