Identifying Challenges in Assessing Risks of Exposures of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) find applications in many consumer products due to their unique properties. It is imperative to contend with the safety issues in respect of AgNPs during manufacturing, usage, and after disposal, as manufacturers as well as consumers are likely to be exposed to these particles. This review seeks to scrutinize the current challenges in obtaining input parameters for conducting risk assessment of exposure to Ag NPs and specifically focuses on exposures of humans to Ag NPs through oral ingestion of Ag NPs via edible parts of plants, water, soil ingestion, and fish, and through dermal uptake exposure pathways. The present status of toxicological studies of silver nanoparticles and challenges in assessing risks of exposure to silver nanoparticles has been discussed in detail. The limited and contradictory existing data imply that prudence must be exercised when potential exposures to silver nanoparticle emerge from different routes.