Editorial: Engineered nanomaterials: understanding their toxicity and environmental impacts

The rapid expansion of nanotechnology has driven the development of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with applications across a wide range of sectors, including biomedicine, agriculture, environmental remediation, and consumer products. While these materials offer considerable potential for biomedical and industrial applications, concerns regarding their biocompatibility, safety, and long-term effects remain substantial. Owing to their small size and unique physicochemical properties, nanoparticles can circulate throughout the body, penetrate biological barriers, interact with cellular components, and potentially disrupt normal physiological processes, leading to adverse effects. Consequently, comprehensive evaluation of their safety profiles, environmental fate, and potential risks is essential to ensure their responsible and sustainable development and application.

The opening paper of this Research Topic, (Toxicity and transport of nanoparticles in agriculture: effects of size, coating, and aging) by Islam examines the environmental fate, transport, and toxicity of nanoparticles in agroecosystems. The review discusses how factors such as particle size, surface coating, and environmental transformation processes influence nanoparticle mobility, persistence, and interactions with soil, water, plants, and microbes. By identifying current knowledge gaps and future priorities, the article emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of nanoparticle behavior under realistic environmental conditions to support the development of safer and more sustainable agricultural applications.

The second article, (Silica nanoparticle toxicity: cellular mechanisms, neurotoxicological concerns, and environmental perspectives) by Kamikubo and Sakairi, focuses on the adverse effects associated with engineered silica nanoparticles. The authors examine the cellular pathways involved in toxicity, including oxidative stress, inflammation, organelle dysfunction, and genotoxicity, while highlighting the influence of nanoparticle physicochemical properties. The review also highlights the role of physicochemical properties in determining biological responses and discusses emerging concerns regarding neurotoxicity and environmental exposure. Overall, the article provides a valuable overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with the safe use of silica-based nanotechnologies.

Expanding the discussion from individual nanoparticles to ecosystem-level responses, the third contribution (Engineered nanomaterials and the microbiome: assessing disruptions in environmental and human microbial communities) by Chowdhury and Ghosh explores the interactions between engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and microbial communities. The review examines the effects of ENMs on environmental and host-associated microbiomes, including soil, aquatic, plant-associated, and gut microbial ecosystems. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanisms through which ENMs may alter microbial diversity, community structure, and ecological functions. The authors also discuss recent methodological advances, including high-throughput sequencing and multi-omics approaches, which are improving our ability to evaluate nanoparticle-induced changes in microbial communities and their broader ecological implications. The closing article (Mycogenic TiO2 nanoparticles for remedying toxic metals in industrial wastewater and their toxicity profiling) by Vinayagam and Vijayarangan presents an innovative example of sustainable nanotechnology, using biologically synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles to remediate heavy metal-contaminated industrial wastewater and to profile their toxicity. The nanoparticles were biosynthesized using extracellular metabolites from the fungus Aspergillus penicillioides VDRVYF; these nanoparticles demonstrated effective removal of toxic metals while improving key wastewater quality parameters. Importantly, the study also focused on the removal of toxic metals, particularly cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr), from industrial effluents. This integrated approach highlights the value of combining technological performance with safety evaluation in the development of environmentally responsible nanomaterial-based solutions. Taken together, the contributions included in this Research Topic illustrate the broad scope and interdisciplinary nature of nanotoxicology. From understanding the environmental behaviour of nanoparticles and elucidating mechanisms of toxicity to evaluating impacts on microbial ecosystems and developing sustainable remediation technologies, these studies address critical challenges facing the field. At the same time, they underscore the importance of adopting a holistic perspective that considers both the benefits and potential risks associated with engineered nanomaterials.

As nanotechnology continues to evolve, future research efforts should prioritize developing predictive models of nanomaterial fate and hazard, standardized approaches to safety assessment, and safe-by-design strategies that integrate functionality, sustainability, and biocompatibility from the earliest stages of material development. Advancing these objectives will be essential to ensure that the societal and technological benefits of nanotechnology can be realized while minimizing risks to human health and the environment.

Finally, the editors sincerely appreciate the opportunity provided by Frontiers in Nanotechnology to showcase these valuable contributions, which have significantly advanced the current understanding of nanomaterial toxicity, environmental impacts, and sustainable remediation strategies. Together, these contributions provide a balanced perspective on both the risks and benefits of engineered nanomaterials, emphasizing the need for sustainable design, rigorous toxicity assessment, and environmentally responsible implementation of nanotechnology.

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Footnotes

Edited and reviewed by: Kun-Yi Andrew Lin, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan