Nanoparticles: Applications, toxicology and safety aspects

Nanotechnology has a global socioeconomic significance. On the brighter side, Nanoparticles (NPs) offer extraordinary technical competencies which allow them to perform enormously novel developments in science and industries. Whereas, on the darker side, just the same novel qualities of nanoparticles can concurrently evoke undesired features, which sometimes lead to adverse and harmful interactions with exposed organisms. Workers involved in manufacturing and handling of NPs in all countries face new hazards from these nanomaterials. The occupational safety and health associations have taken schemes to spot the gaps between awareness and practices. These international agencies formulate the guidelines for handling nano materials and fix their occupational exposure limits. In this chapter authors discussed the source and role of NPs in different areas, NPs induced toxicity, their interaction with different biomolecules, as well as the safety and handling guidelines of NPs in occupational and laboratory areas. © 2017, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.