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Comparison Of Micro- And Nanoscale Fe+3-Containing (Hematite) Particles For Their Toxicological Properties In Human Lung Cells In Vitro, Kunal Bhattacharya, Eik Hoffmann, Roel Schins, Jens Boertz, Eva-Maria Prantl, Gerrit Alink, Hugh Byrne, Thomas Kuhlbusch, Qamar Rahman, Hartmut Wiggers, Christof Schulz, Elke Dopp

Articles

The specific properties of nanoscale particles, large surface-to-mass ratio and highly reactive surfaces, have increased their commercial application in many fields. However, the same properties are also important for the interaction and bio-accumulation of the non-/biodegradable nanoscale particles in a biological system and are a cause for concern. Hematite (α-Fe2O3), being a mineral form of Fe(III) oxide, is one of the most used iron oxides besides magnetite. The aim of our study was the characterization and comparison of biophysical reactivity and toxicological effects of α-Fe2O3 nano- (d < 100 nm) and microscale (d < 5 μm) particles in human lung cells. Our study demonstrates that the surface reactivity of nanoscale α-Fe2O3 differs to that of microscale particles with respect to the state of agglomeration, radical formation potential, and cellular toxicity. The presence of proteins in culture medium and agglomeration were found to affect the catalytic properties of the hematite nano- and microscale particles. Both the nano- and microscale α-Fe2O3 particles were actively taken up by human lung cells in vitro, although, they were not found in the nuclei and mitochondria. …