CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Dec 4, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Minuscule nanoparticles
added to consumer products increasingly may be swarming through the body and
threatening organs like the liver, U.S. scientists fear.
"The smaller a particle, the further it can travel through tissue, along airways
or in blood vessels," Dr. Adnan Nasir, a clinical assistant professor of
dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told The New
York Times.
"Especially if the nanoparticles are indestructible and accumulate and are not
metabolized, if you accumulate them in the organs, the organs could fail," he
said.
Even when made of inert elements, nanomaterials take on unique properties,
compared with their larger counterparts, due to their small size and large
surface area, research suggests.
Animal studies indicate nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, move
through the body and brain and cause biochemical damage. They have also been
linked to testicular cancer and cardiovascular system damage and may pose an
environmental hazard, studies suggest.
Their use in lotions and creams -- particularly in mineral sunscreens -- has
drawn the most critical attention, the Times said.
Consumer Reports magazine commissioned a study that found mineral nanoparticles
in five sunscreens, even though four of the companies denied using them.
A separate study by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of
Standards and Technology found stoves and toaster ovens emit ultrafine particles
of 2 to 30 nanometers.
URL: www.upi.com
Copyright 2008 by United Press International