Development and metrological characterization of an aerosol generation device dedicated to inhalation toxicology studies: the nanopesticide case

International audienceDespite the controversies surrounding the potential health effects associated with engineered nanomaterials, novel agrochemicals combining nanotechnology and pesticides are emerging. These products, named nanopesticides, are being developed to improve the efficiency of conventional agrochemicals. However, they represent an intentional anthropogenic source of nanomaterials within the different environmental compartments which constitutes a possible exposure of agricultural populations notably via the aerosols generated by farming activities. The hazard related to this new type of contaminants must be assessed by using inhalation toxicology studies that are designed to reproduce the complexity of these aerosols exposure, in order to be relevant for human health studies. In the present article, we report an experimental strategy combining both the recommendations in animal experimentation and the OECD guidelines for chemicals testing. To explore the neurotoxicity linked with the chronic exposure to aerosols generated from a nanopesticide, we develop an original device dedicated to inhalation toxicology with rodents. Through this proof of concept study, our cross-disciplinary project aims at proposing a validated methodology to study the inhalation toxicity of complex formulations represented by nanopesticides