ABSTRACT
Rapidly growing nanotechnology industry leads to an increase in the exposure of different nanomaterials to biological organism. Human beings are constantly exposed to these nanoparticles, and its retention leads to several health hazards that include neurodegenerative diseases, circulatory diseases, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Nanotoxicity to plant pathogenic microorganism have been attributed to its ability to interact with microbial membrane, altering transport phenomenon, oxidation of macromolecules, and disruption of the energy metabolism by damaging the membrane-associated enzymes. These nanoparticles have thus been successfully used to control several bacterial and fungal diseases in plants. The aquatic environment acts as sink for these nanoparticles and thus exerts nanotoxicity to exposed aquatic organisms present in freshwater, brackish water, or marine ecosystem. Several toxic effects of nanoparticles on aquatic organisms have been observed that include change in physiological mechanism, behavior pattern, respiratory distress, oxidative stress, organ pathologies, decrease in fertility, and an increase in mortality. Dose-dependent nanotoxicity has been observed with crustaceans, phytoplanktons, mollusks, and fish that warrant us against its unregulated application and release to environment.
