Toxicity Research Progress of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles Exposure in the Environment

Purpose of Review

Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) have attracted considerable interest in multiple industries because of their distinct properties and wide range of potential applications. However, concerns regarding their potential adverse health effects have prompted extensive research efforts to understand their toxicity and develop appropriate safety guidelines.

Recent Findings

Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to NiO NPs can induce harm in a variety of animal models, plants, ecological systems, and in vitro cell models. Research on the mechanism of signaling pathways implicated in respiratory system toxicity and hepatotoxicity has shown that NiO NPs can lead to organ damage by triggering downstream signaling through the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/Smad, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K/AKT), and hedgehog signaling pathways. High-throughput RNA sequencing has been used in toxicity studies to detect important changes in the transcriptome at the mRNA and pathway levels. Additionally, NiO NPs have been found to cause NiO NPs induce neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and ecotoxicity in plants and earthworms, potentially through mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammatory factors.

Summary

This review provides a comprehensive summary of current research progress on the health effects of NiO NPs, focusing on their application, routes of exposure, and potential toxicity mechanisms. The study also evaluates evidence on the impact of NiO NPs on organ systems, including the respiratory, liver, nervous, genotoxic, reproductive and developmental effects. Lastly, the review suggests further research directions to improve understanding of the toxic effects and mechanisms of NiO NPs for safer application.