Surface properties dictate uptake, distribution, excretion, and toxicity of nanoparticles in fish.

There are currently more than 1000 consumer products based on nanomaterials.[1] As a consequence, nanomaterials will inevitably be released into the environment during the manufacture, use, and disposal of these products. Consequently, multiple concerns related to unforeseen health and environmental hazards of nanomaterials have been raised.[2] Many studies on the environmental fate, behavior, bioavailability and toxicity of manufactured nanomaterials have been carried out to address what these hazards might be, but the results are far from conclusive.[3] Currently, carbon-based materials (e.g. fullerenes[4] and carbon nanotubes[4c, 5]), metal and metal oxides (e.g. silver[6] and TiO2[7]) and semiconductor materials (e.g. quantum dots[8]) are the most studied nanomaterials. Investigations show that nanomaterial size,[6, 9] shape,[9] surface chemistry,[4b, 10] and surface area[11] all play a role in determining the toxicity of nanomaterials in model biological and environmental systems.[3a] For example, Chan et al.[9] has demonstrated the size dependence of cellular uptake, and our group[10b] has shown the role of surface charge on uptake.

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