All Outputs (39)

The SAbyNA platform: a guidance tool to support industry in the implementation of safe- and sustainable-by-design concepts for nanomaterials, processes and nano-enabled products (2025)
Journal Article
Cazzagon, V., Vanhauten, R., Hanlon, J., Sánchez Jiménez, A., Harrison, S., Auffan, M., Braakhuis, H., Boyles, M., Candalija, A., Katsumiti, A., Rodriguez-Llopis, I., Catalan, J., Cross, R. K., Lahive, E., Morel, E., Simeone, F. C., Delpivo, C., Clavaguera, S., Seddon, R., Salmatonidis, A., …Vázquez-Campos, S. (online). The SAbyNA platform: a guidance tool to support industry in the implementation of safe- and sustainable-by-design concepts for nanomaterials, processes and nano-enabled products. Environmental Science: Nano, https://doi.org/10.1039/d5en00312a

Simple, cost-effective and reliable methods are needed for pragmatic, flexible, safe and sustainable evaluations at early stages of product (chemical/material) development. This is especially true for nanoforms and nano-enabled products, for which gu... Read More about The SAbyNA platform: a guidance tool to support industry in the implementation of safe- and sustainable-by-design concepts for nanomaterials, processes and nano-enabled products.

Application of in vitro pulmonary models for hazard screening of silica particles (2025)
Journal Article
Ruijter, N., Braakhuis, H., Katsumiti, A., Garriz, I. P., Carriere, M., Zanoni, I., Candalija, A., Marshall, J., Vermeulen, J., Cassee, F. R., & Boyles, M. (online). Application of in vitro pulmonary models for hazard screening of silica particles. Archives of Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-025-04100-5

There is an increasing need for new approach methodologies (NAMs) for safety assessment of nanomaterials (NMs) in order to keep pace with innovation. In vitro assays are useful tools during pre-market hazard screening approaches of NMs to prioritize... Read More about Application of in vitro pulmonary models for hazard screening of silica particles.

Hazard screening of colloidal silica nanomaterials with varying degrees of silane surface functionalization: a safe-by-design case study (2025)
Journal Article
Ruijter, N., Zanoni, I., Persson, D., Arts, J., Carriere, M., Guiot, A., Persson, M., Katsumiti, A., Marshall, J., Boyles, M., Cassee, F. R., & Braakhuis, H. (2025). Hazard screening of colloidal silica nanomaterials with varying degrees of silane surface functionalization: a safe-by-design case study. Particle and fibre toxicology, 22(1), Article 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-025-00629-6

Background: The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) concept facilitates the design of safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials and is a crucial approach towards reaching the goals set out in the European Green Deal. It is critical that su... Read More about Hazard screening of colloidal silica nanomaterials with varying degrees of silane surface functionalization: a safe-by-design case study.

The oxidative potential of nanomaterials: an optimized high-throughput protocol and interlaboratory comparison for the ferric reducing ability of serum (FRAS) assay (2024)
Journal Article
Ruijter, N., Boyles, M., Braakhuis, H., Ayerbe Algaba, R., Lofty, M., di Battista, V., Wohlleben, W., Cassee, F. R., & Candalija, A. (2024). The oxidative potential of nanomaterials: an optimized high-throughput protocol and interlaboratory comparison for the ferric reducing ability of serum (FRAS) assay. Nanotoxicology, 18(8), 724-738. https://doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2024.2438116

Successful implementation of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) and grouping approaches requires simple, reliable, and cost-effective assays to facilitate hazard screening at early stages of product development. Especially for nanomaterials (NMs),... Read More about The oxidative potential of nanomaterials: an optimized high-throughput protocol and interlaboratory comparison for the ferric reducing ability of serum (FRAS) assay.

Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics During Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study (2024)
Journal Article
Durkin, A. M., Zou, R., Boucher, J. M., Boyles, M. S., van Boxel, J., Bustamante, M., Christopher, E. A., Dadvand, P., Dusza, H. M., van Duursen, M., Forsberg, M. M., Galea, K. S., Legler, J., Mandemaker, L. D., Meirer, F., Muncke, J., Nawrot, T. S., Přibylová, P., Robuck, A. R., Saenen, N. D., …Vermeulen, R. (2024). Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics During Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study. JMIR Research Protocols, 13, Article e63176. https://doi.org/10.2196/63176

Background:
Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging pollutants of concern with ubiquitous presence in global ecosystems. MNPs pose potential implications for human health; however, the health impacts of MNP exposures are not yet understood. Rece... Read More about Investigating Exposure and Hazards of Micro- and Nanoplastics During Pregnancy and Early Life (AURORA Project): Protocol for an Interdisciplinary Study.

Safe(r)-by-design principles in the thermoplastics industry: guidance on release assessment during manufacture of nano-enabled products (2024)
Journal Article
McLean, P., Hanlon, J., Salmatonidis, A., Galea, K. S., Brooker, F., Citterio, C., Magni, D., Vázquez-Campos, S., Lotti, D., & Boyles, M. S. P. (2024). Safe(r)-by-design principles in the thermoplastics industry: guidance on release assessment during manufacture of nano-enabled products. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1398104

Background: The application of nanomaterials (NMs) and nano-enabled products (NEPs) across many industries has been extensive and is still expanding decades after first being identified as an emerging technology. Additive manufacturing has been great... Read More about Safe(r)-by-design principles in the thermoplastics industry: guidance on release assessment during manufacture of nano-enabled products.

Impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on early-life health: a roadmap towards risk assessment (2024)
Journal Article
Christopher, E. A., Christopher-de Vries, Y., Devadoss, A., Mandemaker, L. D., van Boxel, J., Copsey, H. M., Dusza, H. M., Legler, J., Meirer, F., Muncke, J., Nawrot, T. S., Saenen, N. D., Scholz-Böttcher, B. M., Tran, L., Weckhuysen, B. M., Zou, R., Zimmermann, L., Galea, K. S., Vermeulen, R., & Boyles, M. S. P. (in press). Impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on early-life health: a roadmap towards risk assessment. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 4(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-024-00089-3

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants representing a concern for human health. MNPs have been detected in human placentas, indicating that during pregnancy maternal exposure may lead to placental transfer and foetal e... Read More about Impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on early-life health: a roadmap towards risk assessment.

Improving the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein (DCFH) assay for the assessment of intracellular reactive oxygen species formation by nanomaterials (2024)
Journal Article
Ruijter, N., van der Zee, M., Katsumiti, A., Boyles, M., Cassee, F. R., & Braakhuis, H. (2024). Improving the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein (DCFH) assay for the assessment of intracellular reactive oxygen species formation by nanomaterials. NanoImpact, 35, Article 100521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2024.100521

To facilitate Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) strategies during the development of nanomaterials (NMs), quick and easy in vitro assays to test for hazard potential at an early stage of NM development are essential. The formation of reactive oxy... Read More about Improving the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein (DCFH) assay for the assessment of intracellular reactive oxygen species formation by nanomaterials.

A comparison of dermal toxicity models; assessing suitability for safe(r)-by-design decision-making and for screening nanomaterial hazards (2024)
Journal Article
McLean, P., Marshall, J., García, A., Beal, D., Katsumiti, A., Carrière, M., & Boyles, M. (2024). A comparison of dermal toxicity models; assessing suitability for safe(r)-by-design decision-making and for screening nanomaterial hazards. Toxicology in Vitro, 97, Article 105792. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2024.105792

The objective of Safe-by-Design (SbD) is to support the development of safer products and production processes, and enable safe use throughout a materials' life cycle; an intervention at an early stage of innovation can greatly benefit industry by re... Read More about A comparison of dermal toxicity models; assessing suitability for safe(r)-by-design decision-making and for screening nanomaterial hazards.

Establishing relationships between particle-induced in vitro and in vivo inflammation endpoints to better extrapolate between in vitro markers and in vivo fibrosis (2023)
Journal Article
McLean, P., Mueller, W., Gosens, I., Cassee, F. R., Rothen-Rutishauser, B., Boyles, M., & Tran, L. (2023). Establishing relationships between particle-induced in vitro and in vivo inflammation endpoints to better extrapolate between in vitro markers and in vivo fibrosis. Particle and fibre toxicology, 20(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12989-023-00516-y

Background: Toxicity assessment for regulatory purposes is starting to move away from traditional in vivo methods and towards new approach methodologies (NAM) such as high-throughput in vitro models and computational tools. For materials with limited... Read More about Establishing relationships between particle-induced in vitro and in vivo inflammation endpoints to better extrapolate between in vitro markers and in vivo fibrosis.

The State of the Art and Challenges of In Vitro Methods for Human Hazard Assessment of Nanomaterials in the Context of Safe-by-Design (2023)
Journal Article
Ruijter, N., Soeteman-Hernández, L. G., Carrière, M., Boyles, M., McLean, P., Catalán, J., Katsumiti, A., Cabellos, J., Delpivo, C., Sánchez Jiménez, A., Candalija, A., Rodríguez-Llopis, I., Vázquez-Campos, S., Cassee, F. R., & Braakhuis, H. (2023). The State of the Art and Challenges of In Vitro Methods for Human Hazard Assessment of Nanomaterials in the Context of Safe-by-Design. Nanomaterials, 13(3), Article 472. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030472

The Safe-by-Design (SbD) concept aims to facilitate the development of safer materials/products, safer production, and safer use and end-of-life by performing timely SbD interventions to reduce hazard, exposure, or both. Early hazard screening is a c... Read More about The State of the Art and Challenges of In Vitro Methods for Human Hazard Assessment of Nanomaterials in the Context of Safe-by-Design.

Integrated approaches to testing and assessment for grouping nanomaterials following dermal exposure (2022)
Journal Article
Di Cristo, L., Janer, G., Dekkers, S., Boyles, M., Giusti, A., Keller, J. G., Wohlleben, W., Braakhuis, H., Ma-Hock, L., Oomen, A. G., Haase, A., Stone, V., Murphy, F., Johnston, H. J., & Sabella, S. (2022). Integrated approaches to testing and assessment for grouping nanomaterials following dermal exposure. Nanotoxicology, 16(3), 310-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2022.2085207

Exposure to different nanoforms (NFs) via the dermal route is expected in occupational and consumer settings and thus it is important to assess their dermal toxicity and the contribution of dermal exposure to systemic bioavailability. We have formula... Read More about Integrated approaches to testing and assessment for grouping nanomaterials following dermal exposure.

Determining nanoform similarity via assessment of surface reactivity by abiotic and in vitro assays (2022)
Journal Article
Ag Seleci, D., Tsiliki, G., Werle, K., Elam, D. A., Okpowe, O., Seidel, K., Bi, X., Westerhoff, P., Innes, E., Boyles, M., Miller, M., Giusti, A., Murphy, F., Haase, A., Stone, V., & Wohlleben, W. (2022). Determining nanoform similarity via assessment of surface reactivity by abiotic and in vitro assays. NanoImpact, 26, Article 100390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2022.100390

Grouping of substances is a method used to streamline hazard and risk assessment. Assessment of similarity provides the scientific evidence needed for formation of groups. This work reports on justification of grouping of nanoforms (NFs) via similari... Read More about Determining nanoform similarity via assessment of surface reactivity by abiotic and in vitro assays.

Bayesian based similarity assessment of nanomaterials to inform grouping (2022)
Journal Article
Tsiliki, G., Ag Seleci, D., Zabeo, A., Basei, G., Hristozov, D., Jeliazkova, N., Boyles, M., Murphy, F., Peijnenburg, W., Wohlleben, W., & Stone, V. (2022). Bayesian based similarity assessment of nanomaterials to inform grouping. NanoImpact, 25, Article 100389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2022.100389

Nanoforms can be manufactured in plenty of variants by differing their physicochemical properties and toxicokinetic behaviour which can affect their hazard potential. To avoid testing of each single nanomaterial and nanoform variation and subsequentl... Read More about Bayesian based similarity assessment of nanomaterials to inform grouping.

Development of a standard operating procedure for the DCFH2-DA acellular assessment of reactive oxygen species produced by nanomaterials (2022)
Journal Article
Boyles, M., Murphy, F., Mueller, W., Wohlleben, W., Jacobsen, N. R., Braakhuis, H., Giusti, A., & Stone, V. (2022). Development of a standard operating procedure for the DCFH2-DA acellular assessment of reactive oxygen species produced by nanomaterials. Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 32(6), 439-452. https://doi.org/10.1080/15376516.2022.2029656

Improved strategies are required for testing nanomaterials (NMs) to make hazard and risk assessment more efficient and sustainable. Including reduced reliance on animal models, without decreasing the level of human health protection. Acellular detect... Read More about Development of a standard operating procedure for the DCFH2-DA acellular assessment of reactive oxygen species produced by nanomaterials.

Paradigms to assess the human health risks of nano- and microplastics (2021)
Journal Article
Noventa, S., Boyles, M. S. P., Seifert, A., Belluco, S., Jiménez, A. S., Johnston, H. J., Tran, L., Fernandes, T. F., Mughini-Gras, L., Orsini, M., Corami, F., Castro, K., Mutinelli, F., Boldrin, M., Puntes, V., Sotoudeh, M., Mascarello, G., Tiozzo, B., McLean, P., Ronchi, F., …Losasso, C. (2021). Paradigms to assess the human health risks of nano- and microplastics. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 1, Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-021-00011-1

Human exposure to nano- and microplastics (NMPs) has raised major societal concerns, yet no framework to assess the risks of NMPs for human health exists. A substantial proportion of plastic produced worldwide is not properly disposed and persists in... Read More about Paradigms to assess the human health risks of nano- and microplastics.

Simulated biological fluids – a systematic review of their biological relevance and use in relation to inhalation toxicology of particles and fibres (2021)
Journal Article
Innes, E., Yiu, H. H. P., McLean, P., Brown, W., & Boyles, M. (2021). Simulated biological fluids – a systematic review of their biological relevance and use in relation to inhalation toxicology of particles and fibres. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 51(3), 217-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2021.1903386

The use of simulated biological fluids (SBFs) is a promising in vitro technique to better understand the release mechanisms and possible in vivo behaviour of materials, including fibres, metal-containing particles and nanomaterials. Applications of S... Read More about Simulated biological fluids – a systematic review of their biological relevance and use in relation to inhalation toxicology of particles and fibres.

A Method to Assess the Relevance of Nanomaterial Dissolution during Reactivity Testing (2020)
Journal Article
Peijnenburg, W. J. G. M., Ruggiero, E., Boyles, M., Murphy, F., Stone, V., Elam, D. A., Werle, K., & Wohlleben, W. (2020). A Method to Assess the Relevance of Nanomaterial Dissolution during Reactivity Testing. Materials, 13(10), Article 2235. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13102235

The reactivity of particle surfaces can be used as a criterion to group nanoforms (NFs) based on similar potential hazard. Since NFs may partially or completely dissolve over the duration of the assays, with the ions themselves inducing a response, r... Read More about A Method to Assess the Relevance of Nanomaterial Dissolution during Reactivity Testing.

Assessment of the physicochemical properties of chrysotile-containing brake debris pertaining to toxicity (2019)
Journal Article
Boyles, M. S. P., Poland, C. A., Raftis, J., & Duffin, R. (2019). Assessment of the physicochemical properties of chrysotile-containing brake debris pertaining to toxicity. Inhalation Toxicology, 31(8), 325-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958378.2019.1683103

Grinding and drilling of chrysotile asbestos-containing brake pads during the 20thcentury led torelease of chrysotile, resulting in varying levels of workplace exposures of mechanics. Despite expo-sures, excess risk of mesothelioma remains in doubt.... Read More about Assessment of the physicochemical properties of chrysotile-containing brake debris pertaining to toxicity.

Assessing the bioactivity of crystalline silica in heated high-temperature insulation wools (2018)
Journal Article
Boyles, M. S. P., Brown, D., Knox, J., Horobin, M., Miller, M. R., Johnston, H. J., & Stone, V. (2018). Assessing the bioactivity of crystalline silica in heated high-temperature insulation wools. Inhalation Toxicology, 30(7-8), 255-272. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958378.2018.1513610

High-Temperature Insulation Wools (HTIW), such as alumino silicate wools (Refractory Ceramic Fibers) and Alkaline Earth Silicate wools, are used in high-temperature industries for thermal insulation. These materials have an amorphous glass-like struc... Read More about Assessing the bioactivity of crystalline silica in heated high-temperature insulation wools.