Maternal exposure to carbon black nanoparticle increases collagen type VIII expression in the kidney of offspring.

The potential health risks of inhaling nanomaterials are of great concern because of their high specific activity and their unique property of translocation. Earlier studies showed that exposure to nanoparticles through the airway affects both respiratory and extrapulmonary organs. When pregnant mice were exposed to nanoparticles, the respiratory system, the central nervous system and the reproductive system of their offspring were affected.