Toxicity of metal NPs in the Air-Liquid interface

Introduction Exposure by inhalation is one route of exposure that has been pinpointed as important in risk assessments of manufactured nanoparticles (MNPs). There is an ongoing discussion whether traditional toxicological methods are sufficient to evaluate the risk of inhalable nanoparticles. Since the use of MNPs is increasing, the need for toxicological data is great. This has led to the emergence of AirLiquid Interface toxicology. Here aerosol MNPs are administered from air and directly deposited upon cellular cultures, preferably of primary lung cells, providing an environment that more resembles that of the human respiratory tract. Methods This work is a holistic approach for the toxicology of metal NPs. The NPs are characterized in the aerosol phase with regards to mass, size and morphology, Figure 1. The NPs are then deposited unto cellular cultures using a commercialised deposition chamber, Nano Aerosol Chamber In Vitro Toxicity (NACIVT) Savi et al (2008).