| Feb 21, 2012 |
Graphene nanoplatelets pose potential health risk |
| (Nanowerk News) Ultra-thin layers of carbon called graphene - heralded for its superconductive properties - could be harmful to the lungs when produced in a particular form. |
| Nanoplatelet use |
| The flexibility of these disc-shaped particles - known as nanoplatelets - mean they can be readily incorporated into plastic and rubber. |
| This gives these materials new and useful properties. |
| The nanoplatelets can also be used to enhance the electronic properties of touch screens. |
| Nanoplatelets are less than one carbon atom thick and invisible to the naked eye. |
| Aerodynamic action |
| Scientists studying nanoplatelets found they behaved like tiny Frisbees, and stay airborne. |
| Their aerodynamic properties mean that when inhaled the nanoplatelets can find their way deeper into the lungs compared with other forms of graphene. |
| The particles could accumulate in the lungs and cause damage. |
| Impact on manufacturing industry |
| This could potentially affect the health of people involved in manufacturing and handling graphene-based nanoplatelets. |
| The study, which looked at the aerodynamic and toxic properties of graphene-based nanoplatelets, was published in the journal ACS Nano ("Graphene-Based Nanoplatelets: A New Risk to the Respiratory System as a Consequence of Their Unusual Aerodynamic Properties"). |
| Source: University of Edinburgh |
