Inorganic Nanoparticles in Our Daily Lives
Characterization methods for inorganic nanoparticles in consumer products

The use of nanomaterials is driven by their specific physicochemical properties at the nanoscale, which differ from those of bulk materials at the macroscopic scale, particularly due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. They may be intentionally added to manufactured products but may also be present unintentionally as residues from manufacturing processes. Although their presence in certain products dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, the precise characterization of their physicochemical properties is a relatively recent field of research. This ubiquity also raises important questions regarding potential risks to health and the environment, as well as from a regulatory standpoint.

In 2008, ISO became the first international organization to establish a definition of nanomaterials, which was updated in 2023 (ISO/TS 80004-1). Thus, a nanomaterial...