Impact of Heavy Metal-Based Nanomaterials on Environment and Health

Abstract

Nanotechnology possesses a wide array of materials in the form of nano-tubes, fibres, plates, chips, particles, sensors, and so on; the application of which has dramatically increased over the last few years due to their unique physicochemical characteristics (i.e., catalytic activity as well as optical, electronic, antibacterial, and magnetic properties). However, the exposure to nanoparticles, and consequent threat to human health and the environment are valid concerns because of the magnitude of nanotechnology-based applications, mainly in the pharmaceutical industries during drug designing, targeted drug delivery and disease diagnostics, and manufacturing of commercial products. For this purpose, the majority of nanomaterials are synthesized either from carbon (organic) and/or heavy metals, metal oxides (inorganic). Accordingly, lead, zinc, copper, chromium, iron, cadmium, and their oxides are important inorganic nanomaterials that are discussed in the chapter.

Nano-revolution in heavy metal removal: engineered nanomaterials for cleaner water

“…Pollution and increased demand due to population development have resulted in a widespread scarcity of safe drinking water in many locations around the world (Sukmana et al, 2021). Heavy metal ions in wastewater are a form of pollution that has caused serious health problems (Sharma et al, 2023;Moukadiri et al, 2024). These ions are of special significance because of their persistence in the environment, long-term accumulation, and potential threat to human health via the food chain.…”

Combining Copper and Zinc into a Biosensor for Anti-Chemoresistance and Achieving Osteosarcoma Therapeutic Efficacy

“…This will alter MBD’s perspectives and generate new drug discovery insight maps [ 21 ]. In modern medicine, the understanding of metal-ion functions [ 22 ] and diagnosis at the molecular level [ 23 ] have become inevitable consequences of delivering new MBD in medicinal bioinorganic chemistry [ 24 , 25 ]. There is still inadequate effort devoted at mechanistic levels [ 26 ] towards providing an alternative, targeted, and rational approach [ 27 ] to supplement screening of novel chemical entities for biological activity [ 21 ].…”