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Nanotubes "As Deadly as Asbestos"

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the hack-cough-weeze dept.

Stony Stevenson writes "Certain carbon nanotubes may be as hazardous to humans as asbestos. A paper to be published in Nature Nanotechnology suggests that inhaling certain types of nanotubes can lead to the formation of mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer commonly caused by exposure to asbestos. "This is a wakeup call for nanotechnology in general and carbon nanotubes in particular," said Andrew Maynard, co-author of the report and chief science adviser to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies." I'm really hoping that those medical face masks get popular again. That's a look that should really be cyclic, like bell-bottoms and thongs. Update: 05/21 19:18 GMT by T : See also this page at the Nanotechnology Project, which features a link to video commentary from Andrew Maynard, the researcher mentioned in the above-linked article.

5 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Report at 11.... by y86 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Breathing solids into lungs which are supposed to process gases is a bad thing. More at 11.

    1. Re:Report at 11.... by ukemike · · Score: 5, Informative

      It is illegal to demolish a building anywhere in the US without first conducting a "thorough inspection for the presence of asbestos." In most places you cannot get a demo permit without showing proof that the inspection was done. Many states only allow certified people to conduct the surveys.

      SatanicPuppy is right. In a well maintained building it is usually better to leave it in place and manage the asbestos materials than to remove the materials for no reason. But that is not the same as ignoring the issue. If you're gonna safely manage asbestos-containing materials (ACM) then you have to know where they are. The worst thing you can do is say, "we're gonna leave well enough alone" then "lets knock down this wall, which may or may not contain asbestos, to make this office bigger."

      I am an asbestos consultant, and I have surveyed hundreds of buildings. Only a tiny handful had no asbestos in them Even brand new buildings usually have some asbestos in them.

      I always get a good laugh when someone tells me, "oh well we had the popcorn ceiling tested and this building is asbestos free." Here is a short and far from complete list of materials that frequently contain asbestos:
      joint compound/taping mud on sheetrock
      texture coats on sheetrock
      plaster, esp acoustical plaster
      vinyl floor tiles
      linoleum
      adhesives of all sorts
      roofing
      roofing patching material
      pipe insulation
      duct insulation
      duct tape
      transite
      acoustical ceiling tiles
      'popcorn' or 'cottage cheese' ceiling
      fireproofing
      fire door cores
      exterior paint

      Actually if it isn't wood, glass, ceramic, metal, or plastic then it is suspect. If it is one of those there is a decent chance that it is glued on with ACM adhesive.

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      -- QED
  2. Re:Actually... by stevelinton · · Score: 5, Informative

    Lung are designed to be able to process most solids, mainly being able to destroy and remove small foreign solids (dust and a-like) that may pose problem (The bigger solids are coughed out so they don't end up inside the lungs - they pose problem, but higher up in the ventilation pathway).

    The problem is when said micro particle are supposed to be indestructible (an attribute shared by both asbestos and nanotubes). Another problem is shape. The system is designed to process round solids, not very long thin ones.
  3. Re:Why is this a surprise? by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not exactly. A carcinogen like benzene works differently than a nanofiber like asbestos or carbon tubes. Benzene's affect is purely chemical. Asbestos (and nanotubes) cause damage through physical damage. One mechanism is when the fibers are longer than about 17 microns and are too long for white blood cells to envelop (frustrated phagocytosis). Because the fibers can work their way into lung tissue these fibers form a constant source of inflammation and scarring. Another is the fibers can spear individual cells and cause them to leak and physically interfere with chromosome function. It is worth being careful.

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  4. Re:Actually... by Corporate+Troll · · Score: 5, Informative

    Mod up... Asbestosis is best described to the layman as "small needles" destroying the lungs.