| Jun 14, 2011 |
Carbon nanotubes could pose health risk to production line staff, study suggests |
| (Nanowerk News) Certain types of carbon nanotubes - cylindrical molecules about one-thousandth of the width of a human hair - could cause cancer in the lining of the lung, University of Edinburgh research shows. |
| The study in mice found short carbon nanotubes appear relatively harmless if they entered lung cavities. |
| However, longer nanotubes were more likely to get stuck there and ultimately cause a type of cancer known as mesothelioma. |
| Need for risk assessment |
| Researchers are looking at assessing the level of risk involved, for instance examining how many of the long fibres are present in the air at workplaces. |
| The study was published in the American Journal of Pathology ("Length-Dependent Retention of Carbon Nanotubes in the Pleural Space of Mice Initiates Sustained Inflammation and Progressive Fibrosis on the Parietal Pleura"). |
| "The industrial-scale manufacture of carbon nanotubes is increasing, with a global market in excess of £1 billion. This research shows that there is a potential hazard in the manufacture of certain types of carbon nanotubes" says Ken Donaldson, Professor of Respiratory Toxicology. |
| Similarities with asbestos |
| The research found that longer carbon nanotubes caused a reaction in the lung lining similar to that of asbestos. |
| Longer asbestos fibres are more harmful than shorter fibres since they also get stuck in the lung cavity where they can cause diseases including mesothelioma. |
| Finding safest kind of nanotube |
| The study demonstrates the need for industry to design safe nanofibres that are long enough to be useful but short enough to avoid causing disease. |
| It follows previous research in mice looking at the effect of carbon nanotubes on the stomach cavity. |
| Source: University of Edinburgh |
