Nanotechnology, Occupational Health and Safety Concerns

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials and devices. Nanoparticles (NPs), the building blocks of nanotechnology, are the objects with at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometer [1,2]. NPs find numerous applications in many fields, starting with electronics, throughout medicine, cosmetology, and ending with automotive and construction industries [3]. Nanotechnology, nanomedicine and nanotoxicology are complementary disciplines aimed at the improvement of human life. Nanomedicine will develop applications for novel and superior diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive measures. Nanotoxicity provides for the necessary safety assessment of nano-enabled products [4,5]. Exciting achievements based on nanotechnology and nanomedicine await us in the future; yet there are many challenges to get it right and recognize and avoid potential risks associated with these new developments where nanotoxicology will have a crucial role [6].