ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the biological fate and toxicity of nanomaterials in the environment. Nanoparticles possess huge surface to volume ratios and exhibit different chemical, physical, and biological properties to those of their counterparts, which may lead to adverse effects on human health. The governing factors involved in the formation of protein corona are: protein-nanoparticle binding affinities and protein-protein interactions. Interaction of proteins with nanoparticles in biological fluids dramatically changes their physicochemical and biological identities. Gastrointestinal barriers include gastric and intestinal enzymes, mucus barrier, tight junctions blocking paracellular passage, intestinal epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract, and subepithelial tissue. Many nanomaterial-based products were developed from gold and silver nanoparticles and reports demonstrated the accumulation of these nanoparticles in the liver. Mucous membranes are called mucosae, and represent the moist surface of various body cavities, such as the gastrointestinal wall and respiratory tract.
