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Nanoparticle dispersity in toxicology

Nature Nanotechnology volume 8, pages 308–309 (2013)Cite this article

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To the Editor

The toxicity of nanomaterials has been investigated for over a decade but few general theories have been developed in part due to poor control and characterization of the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles being studied, and the lack of quantitative criteria to evaluate their quality. Although it is generally agreed that more consistent reporting of the properties of nanoparticles is required, little attention has been paid to the reporting format. For example, should nanoparticle size be reported as a raw distribution of sizes, or as dispersity (that is, a measure of whether the sample is uniform or non-uniform based on certain criteria)1?

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Figure 1: Dispersity of nanoparticles studied in the field of nano(eco)toxicology and nanocluster catalysis.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge funding from the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC, NE/F005008/1) and the Facility for Environmental Nanoscience Analysis and Characterization (FENAC), along with funding from the SmartState Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk (CENR) at the University of South Carolina.

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  1. School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Mohammed Baalousha & Jamie R. Lead

  2. SmartState Center for Environmental Nanoscience and Risk (CENR), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 29088, South Carolina, USA

    Jamie R. Lead

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  1. Mohammed Baalousha
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  2. Jamie R. Lead
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Correspondence to Mohammed Baalousha or Jamie R. Lead.

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Baalousha, M., Lead, J. Nanoparticle dispersity in toxicology. Nature Nanotech 8, 308–309 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2013.78

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