Effects of silver nanoparticles on human health

There has been a great deal of attention and research devoted on nanoparticels (NPs) over the last 10 years. From current knowledge in the field of nanotoxicology, it has become evident that the most NPs, if not all are more toxic than bulk materials. The rapid progress and developing has been leading to concerns about the potential risk associated with the use and application of NPs on human health and the environment. Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are one of the most available and commercially distributed nanomaterials around the world. In order to understand how human health can be affected by SNPs, quantification and detection of SNPs in biological systems have to be conducted in different models. It seems that respiratory and gastrointestinal systems as well as the skin are the major routes of SNPs penetration into the body. Research on SNPs toxicity is mostly conducted in vitro, and the available human and animal data are relatively limited. This review attempts to focus on the characterization and quantification of the potential harmful effects of SNPs on human health.