Thursday, May 22, 2008
Some Nanotubes Could Cause Cancer
New studies suggest that long carbon nanotubes behave like asbestos.
[top of p. 2/2]
Not all types of carbon nanotubes behave like cancer-causing asbestos. The Nature Nanotechnology article showed that short nanotubes (those less than 15 micrometers long) and long nanotubes that have become very tangled do not cause inflammation and lesions.
[last par. on p. 2/2]
As is the case with asbestos, carbon nanotubes are not likely to cause problems while they're embedded inside products. It's most important to protect workers involved in the manufacturing and disposal of these products, at which point the nanotubes could be released into the air, the authors of the Nature Nanotechnology study say. This could be done with established methods for handling fibrous particles, Colvin says, and by starting to keep track of what products have the potentially dangerous nanotubes--something that's not done systematically now. Armed with the results, engineers could possibly use types of carbon nanotubes that are safer, Maynard says.
technologyreview.com
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technologyreview.com
and
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Nanofibers Heal Spinal Cords
Injected directly into the spinal cords of paralyzed mice, a new material restores use of the animals' hind legs.
By Prachi Patel-Predd
technologyreview.com
and
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Nanoworms Target Tumors
A new shape for nanoparticles helps deliver imaging agents.
By Corinna Wu
technologyreview.com |
