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Carbon nanotubes may be a strong carcinogen

18.11.2017

Carbon nanotubes are known to have a number of unique properties, ranging from the highest strength, many times higher than the strength of steel, to high electrical conductivity. This makes them a truly fantastic material that should find application in a variety of areas, from integrated circuits and fuel cells to the creation of heavy-duty threads (including the manufacture of a cable for a space elevator) and artificial muscles. However, like many materials new to science, it also contains certain dangers, in particular, in terms of the effects on the human and animal organisms.

Medical research data from the British Medical Research Council (MRC) agency warns us that carbon nanotubes can be quite a strong carcinogen, similar in properties to asbestos.

Research by MRC staff indicates that long, biologically stable fibers lead to serious lung diseases, such as mesothelioma, a malignant neoplasm that develops from the tissue that lines the surface of the chest, abdomen, or heart. Doctors know that the main risk factor for mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Now, a material that is unique in its properties is also at risk. The fact is that it is quite difficult for the body to get rid of microscopic, chemically extremely neutral particles, which are carbon nanotubes.

At the moment, scientists are still cautious about making any predictions. Carbon nanotubes are just entering our lives, and there are not yet enough statistical data to speak with confidence about their carcinogenicity. However, in their "biological" properties, they are very close to asbestos, a well-known carcinogenic material, the use of which is being actively abandoned today.

Increasing production of carbon nanotubes is forcing medical professionals to take this threat more seriously. Of course, there is no talk of abandoning the production and use of the latest material yet, but one must be extremely careful about the possible consequences of prolonged contact of the human body with nanotubes. At least until reliable data about their safety are obtained.

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