IMPACT OF NANOPARTICLES ON HUMAN HEALTH IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a rapid emerging field and has found application in medicine in a large-scale agriculture, industry as well as consumer products yet the rate of manufacturing and consumption of nanoparticles. The topic (NPs) has raised growing apprehensions regarding the potential adverse effects of such particles on human health. Nanotechnology is a fast-developing discipline, which has been used extensively in medicine, agriculture, industry, and consumer products but the pace of production and use of nanoparticles (NPs) has brought about increasing concerns about the possible negative impacts of these particles on human health. Nanoparticles, the size of which is generally between 1 and 100 nm, have distinct physicochemical properties including high surface area, high reactivity, and penetration of biological barriers which can have unexpected toxicological implications. The paper is a critical review of the sources, routes of exposure, toxicological pathways and health effects of nanoparticles with special reference to Pakistan. The primary route of human exposure to NPs is via the respiratory, oral, dermal, and occupational exposures (particularly in urban, industrial, and agricultural settings). There is evidence to show that nanoparticles cause toxicity through oxidative stress, inflammatory effects, mitochondrial pathology, and genotoxic effects, which lead to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and reproductive pathologies. Rapid urbanization, traffic emissions, industries, and the growing utilization of nano-enabled agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals are some of the major contributors to engineered and incidental nanoparticle exposure in Pakistan, and distinct monitoring and regulatory systems on nanoparticles are still scarce. This review provides global-based toxicological evidence with regional exposures to bring out the most pertinent public health and occupational risks of nanoparticles in Pakistan. Lastly, it also establishes the gaps that are of interest in the research and it also highlights the urgency of nano safety regulations, exposure surveillance, and evidence-based policymaking to ensure that nanotechnology continues to develop safely and sustainably in the country.