Study provides new evidence for carbon nanotube-induced carcinogenesis
10 June 2011
A new study by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and West Virginia University found that chronic exposure to single-walled carbon nanotubes causes malignant transformation of human lung epithelial cells. These transformed cells induce tumors in mice, and exhibit an apoptosis (natural programmed cell death)-resistance characteristic of cancer cells. The authors say that the study, published in the ACS journal Nano Letters, provides new evidence for carbon nanotube-induced carcinogenesis.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) rank among the major, newly developed nanomaterials that are currently of interest for a wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. Their unique properties, including high tensile strength, flexibility, adsorptivity, durability, and lightweight, have led to the anticipation of a high production volume. In the next decade, high airborne exposure to CNTs by either workers or consumers has been predicted, consequently raising human health concerns about their potential toxicity.
With their small diameter and high aspect ratio, the physiochemical properties of CNTs have shown a resemblance with asbestos fibers, which are classified as a group I human carcinogen by the International Agency of Research in Cancer. Exposure to asbestos has caused a pandemic of lung diseases, including lung cancer, fibrosis, and mesothelioma.
The lung is a major target organ for airborne CNT exposure. Both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been shown to migrate into the alveolar interstitial compartment of the lung.
—Wang et al.
Resources
Liying Wang, Sudjit Luanpitpong, Vincent Castranova, William Tse, Yongju Lu, Varisa Pongrakhananon, Yon Rojanasakul (2011) Carbon Nanotubes Induce Malignant Transformation and Tumorigenesis of Human Lung Epithelial Cells. Nano Letters Article ASAP doi: /10.1021/nl201121
This result was to be expected.
Posted by: Mannstein | 10 June 2011 at 02:36 PM
It's time to perform studies in rats, with both nanotubes and their likely competitor, sheets of graphene. If the graphene is less of a health threat, that's another reason to push research in that direction.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 10 June 2011 at 02:48 PM
For many years, nano-particles have been the subject of possible harm to living creatures. More comparative studies are required to establish what effects free nano-particles have on our health and well being, specially in close environment.
Posted by: HarveyD | 10 June 2011 at 04:33 PM
There goes the idea of using carbon nano tubes for house insulation.. perhaps it would not be a good idea to take a chainsaw to a battery that used this material either.
Posted by: Herm | 11 June 2011 at 08:30 AM
Most new technologies. new drugs and many commonly used products have many direct and/or indirect negative side effects. In some cases, it is difficult to establish the NET gain to our health and well being.
One of our best, University, neurobiology senior researcher died yesterday after trying a new drug.
It is almost impossible to established how many died from tobacco, asbestos, insecticides, lead, man-made chemicals and drugs etc in the last 100 years.
One of the most admired invention, our famous gas guzzlers, may be one of the most prolific killer, with close to 50,000/year in USA and probably three to five times that many world wide. Ten times as many people get badly hurt every year. The good news is, with the use a appropriate sensors and controllers, future e-cars could avoid most fatal accidents. The bad news is, our deniers will refuse to mandate these because it will cost a few mighty dollars more.
Another major killer is our famous hand guns but we knowingly want more. Noiseless laser guns would do a better job.
Posted by: HarveyD | 11 June 2011 at 09:18 AM