Nanorriscos para a saúde humana

Artigo de revisão de Peter Hoet, Irene Brüske-Hohlfeld e Oleg Salata no periódico Journal of Nanobiotechnology faz um balanço sobre o que se sabe de riscos previsíveis de nanopartículas para a saúde humana. Como se pode ver pelo resumo e pela conclusão reproduzidos abaixo, a mensagem é: apesar de todo o oba-oba, como hoje no New York Times, faltam pesquisa e moldura institucional para prevenir problemas.
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Abstract
Manmade nanoparticles range from the well-established multi-ton production of carbon black and fumed silica for applications in plastic fillers and car tyres to microgram quantities of fluorescent quantum dots used as markers in biological imaging. As nano-sciences are experiencing massive investment worldwide, there will be a further rise in consumer products relying on nanotechnology. While benefits of nanotechnology are widely publicised, the discussion of the potential effects of their widespread use in the consumer and industrial products are just beginning to emerge. This review provides comprehensive analysis of data available on health effects of nanomaterials.
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Conclusions
Particles in the nano-size range can certainly enter the human body via the lungs and the intestines; penetration via the skin is less evident. It is possible that some particles can penetrate deep into the dermis. The chances of penetration depend on the size and surface properties of the particles and also on the point of contact in the lung, intestines or skin. After the penetration, the distribution of the particles in the body is a strong function of the surface characteristics of the particles. A critical size might exist beyond which the movement of the nanoparticles in parts of the body is restricted. The pharmaco-kinetic behaviour of different types of nanoparticles requires detailed investigation and a database of health risks associated with different nanoparticles (e.g. target organs, tissue or cells) should be created. The presence of the contaminates, such as metal catalysts present in nanotubes, and their role in the observed health effects should be considered along with the health effect of the nanomaterials.

The increased risk of cardiopulmonary diseases requires specific measures to be taken for every newly produced nanoparticle. There is no universal "nanoparticle" to fit all the cases, each nanomaterial should be treated individually when health risks are expected. The tests currently used to test the safety of materials should be applicable to identify hazardous nanoparticles. Proven otherwise, it would be a challenge for industry, legislators and risk assessors to construct a set of high throughput and low cost tests for nanoparticles without reducing the efficiency and reliability of the risk assessment. Nanoparticles designed for drug delivery or as food components need special attention.