Are carbon nanotubes safe or harmful?
Channel: Risk Bites
Date: 2013-03-11

Carbon nanotubes, or CNT, are being used to make products stronger, lighter, faster, and more efficient.  But are they safe?  A growing body of research is raising concerns over the hazards presented by some forms of the material.  As ever though, the risk to health depends on who is exposed to what and where, and how much they are exposed to.

This week's Risk Bites takes a look at factors that may affect how carbon nanotube toxicity is translated into risk.

Additional resources:

NIOSH (2013) New Findings on Lung Tumor Formation in Laboratory Mice Exposed to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes. http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2013/03/mwcnt/

What are carbon nanotubes used for? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_applications_of_carbon_nanotubes

Donaldson et al. (2006) Carbon Nanotubes: A Review of Their Properties in Relation to
Pulmonary Toxicology and Workplace Safety.  Toxicol. Sci. 92 (1): 5-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfj130 [Free download]

Poland et al. (2008) "Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study" Nature Nanotechnology 3, 423 - 428 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.111

NIOSH (2010) Occupational Exposure to Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers (Draft) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket161A/



This week's Risk Bites team:
David Faulkner (post-production)
Andrew Maynard (all the other stuff)

Risk Bites is supported by the ASU Risk Innovation Lab and School for the Future of Innovation in Society

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