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# Common metal oxide nanoparticles damage and kill cells
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/metal_oxide_nanoparticles_0715121133/
- Published: 2012-07-15T00:32:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:04:57.000Z
- Description: Testing 20-nanometre particles on human fetal lung fibroblasts, Chinese researchers found silicon dioxide, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and aluminium oxide all caused mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death at 0.25 to 1.50 mg/mL, with zinc oxide the most toxic.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import

By David liu, PHD

Sunday July 15, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- X.Q. Zhang of Southeast University in Jiangsu, China and colleagues found metal oxide nanoparticles including silicon dioxide, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and aluminium oxide all cause cellular mitochondrial dysfunction, morphological modifications and apoptosis at the concentration range of 0.25-1.50 mg/mL.

The researchers also found the toxic effects are dose-dependent, high concentrations leading to more severe consequences. And zinc oxide, which is commonly used by dietary supplements makers as a nutrient, is the most toxic nanoparticles followed by titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide in a descending order.

Zhang et al. tested all the nanoparticles (20 nm) for their effects on human fetal lung fibroblasts in vitro.

The [study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22365403?ref=foodconsumer.org) was published in the Dec 2011 issue of *Biomedical and Environmental Sciences*.

V. Kumar of Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in India and colleagues reviewed the toxicity of selected types of nanoparticles including silicon dioxide and reported the following in Reviews of *Environmental and Contaminant Toxicology*:

1) the toxicity of nanoparticles depends on size, shape, and surface covering;

2) parameters that need to be evaluated to measure the toxicity of nanoparticles should include surface charges, types of coating material, and reactivity;

3) of metal oxide nannoparticles, metallic nanoparticles, quantum dots, silica (silicon dioxide) nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and certain other carbon nanometre's (NMs), most are toxic to animals;

4) nanoparticles are found in organs including the brain, lungs, liver, spleen and bones of test species;

5) while nanomaterials are widely used, the available data on nanoparticles' toxicity is not sufficient to allow scientists to adequately assess risk of synthetic nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles have been found to cause a great deal of cellular and molecular damages. Nanoparticles like titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, zinc oxide and iron oxide are commonly used in processed food, dietary supplements and personal care products or cosmetics. The nanoscaled particles can damage cells including DNA leading to mutations and cancer development, according to previous studies.