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Dissertation summary

Changing the various properties of nanomaterials can result in materials with amazing features. However, it is often unknown how such changes may affect the ability of nanomaterials to cause adverse health effects. Therefore, the influence of several properties of nanoparticles (NPs) on the distribution of the NPs in the body, the mechanistic pathways and the health effects after inhalation was investigated. The investigated properties include redox activity (the tendency to acquire or lose electrons), dissolution, chemical composition and particle size. This research was performed using a carefully selected set of toxicity tests in animals and cells in combination with a set of NPs with specific properties. 

The results of the toxicity tests indicated that the influence of the redox activity was very limited, while the particle size, dissolution and chemical composition of the tested NPs were more important determinants of the investigated biological responses. However, the influence of the properties on the biological responses was difficult to evaluate because the properties may change over time due to interaction of the NPs with their surrounding environment. The results of this research provide more insight how some properties and environmental conditions may influence various biological responses. The challenge for future research is to fill the remaining knowledge gaps on how the various properties, environment conditions and underlying mechanistic pathways are connected to each other.