PNNL

Abstract

Metal Oxide (MeO) Nanoparticles (NPs) have turned into a common product in our everyday life for the last years. However, there is still an important knowledge gap on their toxicological effect and, in particular, how different physical and chemical properties of MeO NPs influence the cytotoxicity and the subsequent implications for risk assessment. This work analyses the physico-chemical properties of MeO NPs that have been reported as relevant for risk assessment and the experimental and theoretical methods used to obtain them. Surface, physical and chemical properties of NPs have been critically revisited to give light in the features that can cause toxicity. Due to the large ammount of existing MeO NPs, in silico studies are necessary to get a good understanding of the NPs physico-chemical properties; therefore this review focuses in the state-of-the-art of computational methods to model MeO NPs toxicity: QSAR and QSTR models and their alternative approaches provide a better understanding of their biological toxicity in organisms.