Metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles (Nps) have a wide range of applications in various settings including household, cosmetics and chemical industries, as well as for coatings. Nevertheless, an in-depth study of the potential toxic effects of these Nps is still needed, in order to fulfill the mandatory requirement of ensuring the safety of workers, patients and the general public. In this study, Quick Cell colorimetric assays were used to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of different metal oxide Nps [Fe(II,III)Ox, TiOx, ZnO and CeO2] in several cell lines. The ZnO Nps were found to be highly toxic, with a lethal dose ≥100 μg/ml for all the cell lines studied. Western blot was also used to test the ability of the different Nps to activate the complement pathway. However, no activation of this cascade was observed when the Nps were added. In addition, the aggregation state and charge of the Nps in culture media was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and measurement of zeta potential. Transmission Electron Microscopy was used to analyze Np uptake and localization at the cellular level.