Identifying Knowledge Gaps in Assessing Health Risks due to Exposures of Nanoparticles from Contaminated Edible Plants

摘要

Introduction Nanoparticles (NPs) have been reportedly found in the environment (Brar et al., 2010; Kumar et al., 2012; Sundaram and Kumar, 2012) and found to pose risks to ecological systems and to the human being (Nowack et al., 2012). During the use of wastewater effluent as potential irrigation water, plants may also receive NPs from water and might accumulate. Further, biosolids (i.e., sludge from wastewater) are also being used as fertilizer and through this route also plant might get exposed to NPs. Considering this pollution route and subsequent potential of exposures to humans, there is a need of testing protocols for assessing risk to human and other communities (Nowack et al., 2012; Kumar, 2012; OECD, 2012).