Recent advances in nanotechnology have made significant progress in biomedical sciences. However, there are growing concerns that exposure to naturally-occurring and synthetic nano-sized particles promotes various types of human diseases. The lungs are the vital organ for gas exchange. Due to their unique position, the lungs can be the primary route that nanoparticles (NPs) enter the human body, which exerts toxic effects. In spite of the wide applications of NPs, the precise effects on health following exposure are not fully understood. To address this, the biophysical properties of naturally-occurring and synthetic NPs, their pathological effects on the respiratory system and the potential human health risk are examined. The goal of this review is to provide the current evidence that exposure to NPs is a risk factor to develop human diseases. The understanding of the pathological process by NPs is essential in preventing and the treatment of nanoparticle-induced human diseases.

纳米技术的最新进展在生物医学领域取得了重大进展。但是，人们越来越担心暴露于天然存在的和合成的纳米级颗粒会促进各种类型的人类疾病。肺是气体交换的重要器官。由于其独特的位置，肺部可能是纳米颗粒（NPs）进入人体的主要途径，从而发挥毒性作用。尽管NP的广泛应用，但暴露后对健康的确切影响尚不完全清楚。为了解决这个问题，研究了天然和合成NP的生物物理特性，它们对呼吸系统的病理影响以及潜在的人类健康风险。这篇综述的目的是提供当前证据，证明暴露于NP是人类疾病的危险因素。