The Toxicology of Silica Nanoparticles: A Review

Silica nanoparticles are increasingly used in industrial, cosmetics, and medical applications. Workers in nanosilica production industries, laboratory personnel in drug production industries, patients taking drugs with nanosilica in its formulations, and everyone in society who uses cosmetics are potentially at risk to health effects induced by silica nanoparticles. Like other nanomaterials, nanosilica has unique physical and chemical properties that modify its toxic effects compared to bulk silica or microparticles of silica. Nanosilica toxicology has been studied by various in vitro and in vivo protocols and on humans, studies which are collected and summarized in the present publication. The toxic effects are outlined based on the type of body compartment, viz. cardiovascular, dermal, respiratory, neural, hepatic, genetic, immune, reproductive, and renal system. Further information, especially the experimental protocols and toxicological endpoints, are summarized in tables.