Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in diverse sectors such as medicine, food,
cosmetics, household items, textiles and electronics. Given the extent of human exposure to AgNPs,
information about the toxicological effects of such products is required to ensure their safety. For this
reason, we performed a bibliographic review of the genotoxicity studies carried out with AgNPs
over the last six years. A total of 43 articles that used well-established standard assays (i.e., in vitro
mouse lymphoma assays, in vitro micronucleus tests, in vitro comet assays, in vivo micronucleus
tests, in vivo chromosome aberration tests and in vivo comet assays), were selected. The results
showed that AgNPs produce genotoxic effects at all DNA damage levels evaluated, in both in vitro
and in vivo assays. However, a higher proportion of positive results was obtained in the in vitro
studies. Some authors observed that coating and size had an effect on both in vitro and in vivo
results. None of the studies included a complete battery of assays, as recommended by ICH and EFSA
guidelines, and few of the authors followed OECD guidelines when performing assays. A complete
genotoxicological characterization of AgNPs is required for decision-making