“Nanoparticles” may seep through skin

“Nanoparticles” may seep through skin

Sept. 30, 2008
Courtesy University of Rochester Medical Center
and World Science staff

Scientists are finding that particles that are barely there—tiny objects known as nano­particles that have found a home inelectronics, food containers, sun screens, and other applications—can breach our most per son al protective barrier: the skin.

The par t i cles un der scru ti ny by Li sa De Louise at the Uni ver s ity of Roch es ter Med i cal Cen ter, in New York, are less than one five-thou sandth the width of a hu man hair.

In the Sep tem ber is sue of the re search jour nal Nano Let ters, a team led by De Louise pub lished a pa per re port ing that nanopar t i cles pass through the skin of a liv ing or gan­ism, a type of mouse com monly used as a mod el to study the dam ag ing ef fects of sun­light./.../