Recent advances in magnetic nanoparticles: Key applications, environmental insights, and future strategies

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are increasingly recognized for their broad applications across diverse fields, from biomedicine to information storage, thanks to their unique magnetic and structural properties, rendering them promising for the industrial sector. Nonetheless, their widespread adoption faces significant challenges, including environmental impacts throughout their life cycle, health risks linked to their toxicological profiles, and logistical difficulties in their recovery and recycling processes. Additionally, operational limitations and economic feasibility issues hinder their practical integration into commercial applications. This review outlines key scientific and technical challenges that must be addressed to enhance the functionality and safety of MNPs, such as optimizing synthesis processes for consistent particle control, developing safer coatings, and enhancing environmental management techniques. The review broadens its scope to explore the application spectrum of MNPs in medicinal, environmental, catalytic, and data storage domains. In healthcare, MNPs are instrumental in drug delivery, hyperthermia therapy, and diagnostic imaging; their notable role in environmental remediation, particularly in wastewater treatment and pollutant sequestration, is also highlighted. Furthermore, their catalytic properties boosts both performance and selectivity in industrial processes, underlining their growing importance. Included in this review is a life cycle analysis that evaluates the environmental impact of MNPs from production to disposal, identifying areas that could benefit from further improvement. The review critically examines the toxicological profiles of MNPs, offering insights into mitigation strategies and assessing potential risks to human health, livestock, and ecosystems. The discussion extends to recovery and recyclability challenges, operational limitations, market hurdles, and economic viability, providing a holistic overview of the obstacles linked to their commercial use. In summary, this review not only compiles the current state of knowledge on the applications of MNPs but also pioneers an inquiry into their emerging roles, health hazards and effective risk management. Incorporating safety considerations and economic factors into this framework enhances the understanding of sustainable applications of MNPs. This, in-turn, lays out a strategic roadmap for their future development and application, taking into account environm