The fibrous or filamentous form of nano-objects will induce a specific toxicity related to the "fiber effect" invoked for fibers such as asbestos. The long particles (nanotubes, nanowire) will be more toxic than spherical particles of the same chemical composition.
Intrinsic toxicity
What are intrinsic toxicity factors?
The intrinsic toxicity of nanoparticles depends on the physical and chemical parameters:
- chemical nature and solubility,
- physical properties: size, surface, shape, aggregation and agglomeration degrees and structure.