Abstract: With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials play an important role in many fields, such as materials, industry, environmental protection, military, medicine and other fields with their unique physical and chemical properties. The production and use of nanomaterials make them inevitablely to enter the ecological system. People can be exposed to nanomaterials through environmental, occupational and medical approaches. Respiratory system is the most important way for nanoparticles to enter the human body. A number of studies have confirmed that nanomaterials can cause damage to lungs by oxidative stress, inflammation, and ion disorders, which can induce granulomatous lesions, pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even lung cancer. The relationship between nanomaterial exposure and pulmonary diseases, and also the related mechanism in pulmonary toxicity of nanomaterials have been reviewed in this paper.

Key words: nanostructures, environmental exposure, toxicity tests, lung diseases, nanomaterial, pulmonary toxicity