Nanosafety Assessment, Implications and Mitigations

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Nanoscience and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 January 2026 | Viewed by 140

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543, Singapore
Interests: polymer synthesis and characterization; biomaterials; synthesis and characterisation of nanomaterials; nanotoxicity and nanosafety; materials for water purification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanomaterials within the size range of 1 nanometer–1 micrometer are used in many common consumer products due to their fascinating properties. The composition of these functional materials varies significantly. Both inorganic hard nanomaterials (e.g., metal and metal oxides) and organic soft nanomaterials (e.g., carbon, polymers) are widely used. The nanomaterials used in various technologies are also categorized based on their size, shape, concentration, and composition. Unfortunately, many of these materials end up in the environment through improper waste disposal. The engineered nanomaterials are applied in medicine, including in cancer treatments, drug delivery, skin care, and cosmetics, bringing a wide variety of nanomaterials into close contact with the human body. Their small size and the unique surface properties allow such particles to enter various organs, tissues, and cells inside the human body, which raises concern over the potential health impact of long-term exposure. This Special Issue will focus on a range of topics, such as the following:

-       Developing new nanomaterials and emerging applications;

-       Existing nanomaterials and their applications;

-       Microplastics and nanoplastic particles and their impact on living organisms;

-       Tracking and identifying tools for the presence of nanomaterials inside living organisms;

-       Understanding the adverse impact due to acute and chronic exposure;

-       Different entry, translocation, and accumulation in living organisms;

-       Protocols and tools used for assessing nanosafety;

-       Details on different biomarkers used in nanotoxicology;

-       Control measures needed to isolate potential errors and interferences;

-       The mechanism of nanotoxicity;

-       The recovery, life cycle assessment, and circularity of nanomaterials;

-       Strategies for the mitigation of nanotoxicity;

-       Occupational safety challenges;

-       Positive and negative economic and societal impact.

This Special Issue will accept original papers, perspectives, and short and long reviews related to nanotoxicology, nanoplastic particles, and nanosafety-related topics.

Dr. Suresh Valiyaveettil
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanosafety assessment
  • inorganic nanomaterials (metal, metal oxides)
  • environmental contamination
  • medical applications (cancer treatment, drug delivery, cosmetics)
  • human exposure
  • health impact
  • microplastics & nanoplastics
  • nanotoxicology
  • acute & chronic exposure
  • mechanism of nanotoxicity
  • mitigation strategies
  • occupational safety
  • life cycle assessment

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 1528 KB  
Article
Detection of Microbial Contamination in Nanomaterials Using LAL, rFC and Cell-Based Assays: Implications for Nanotoxicological Hazard Assessment
by Peng Lei, Fikirte Debebe Zegeye, Mayes Alswady-Hoff, Chiara Marcolungo, Pernille Høgh Danielsen, Anne Mette Madsen, Håkan Wallin, Ulla Vogel, Shan Zienolddiny-Narui and Johanna Samulin Erdem
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(24), 1871; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15241871 (registering DOI) - 13 Dec 2025
Abstract
Accurate detection of microbial contamination is essential in the assessment of toxicological and immunological responses to various materials, as low-level contaminants can lead to confounding results. Traditional endotoxin testing relies on the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay, which depends on horseshoe crab blood [...] Read more.
Accurate detection of microbial contamination is essential in the assessment of toxicological and immunological responses to various materials, as low-level contaminants can lead to confounding results. Traditional endotoxin testing relies on the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay, which depends on horseshoe crab blood and raises both ecological and ethical concerns. Sustainable alternatives such as recombinant Factor C (rFC) provide a promising solution, yet validation for the detection of endotoxin in nanomaterials remains incomplete. In this study, we have used rFC alongside Toll-like receptor (TLR) reporter assays to detect both endotoxin and broader microbial contaminants in 31 nanomaterials from diverse classes. Special attention was given to assay interference by nanomaterials to ensure reliable detection. The rFC assay demonstrated a sensitive detection limit of 0.005 EU/mL, equivalent to the LAL assay, and showed that more than 50% of tested nanomaterials contained low-level endotoxin contamination. Additionally, several nanomaterials activated the TLR2 reporter, indicative of microbial contaminants beyond endotoxin. These results suggest that rFC can serve as a sustainable and reliable replacement for LAL in nanomaterial endotoxin testing but also emphasize the limitations of relying solely on endotoxin-specific assays. We recommend that future nanotoxicological evaluations integrate rFC with complementary methods, such as TLR-based approaches, and include thorough interference controls to ensure robust and comprehensive microbial contamination assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanosafety Assessment, Implications and Mitigations)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop