It was early recognised that, in addition to their advantageous features, nanoparticles may pose a risk to human health and the environment due to the rapid production of new nanomaterials. Over the past 20 years, evidence has gathered in favour of oxidative stress as a general mechanistic theory to explain how manufactured nanoparticles interact with biological molecules. Since oxidative stress was acknowledged in redox biology as a physiological response, its extensive use in nanotoxicology has revealed new difficulties and restrictions.
