Scientists issue ‘wake-up call’ for asbestos-like nanotech

Inhaling long and thin carbon nanotubes could be as harmful to health as exposure to asbestos fibres, according to a new study which urges industry and policymakers to ensure the safe development of this revolutionary technology.

“The results were clear. Long, thin carbon nanotubes showed the same effects as long, thin asbestos fibres,” said Professor Kenneth Donaldson, commenting on the results of a study examining whether carbon nanotubes can cause health impacts similar to asbestos fibres. 

If the scientists are correct, the nanotubes could have effects similar to asbestos and be associated with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer that can take 30-40 years to develop following exposure. Exposure to asbestos is considered harmful if high concentrations are inhaled over a long period of time. 

Carbon nanotubes are commonly described as “light as plastic and stronger than steel”. They are among the many forms of nanomaterials that scientists and policymakers believe will revolutionise industrial production in the 21st century. A range of sporting goods such as tennis rackets already use them, and other products are being developed ranging from drugs, energy-efficient batteries and electronics. 

“Currently we don’t know whether these products contain harmful or safe nanotubes or whether they can get out from the products,” said Andrew Maynard, co-author of the study, which was published in Nature Nanotechnology on 20 May 2008. 

According to the researchers, short or curly carbon nanotubes did not behave like asbestos but the long and thin ones did. Work can thus now be started to control them in order to ensure that products which use them are safe, the scientists said. 

“This is a wake-up call for nanotechnology in general and carbon nanotubes in particular,” said Maynard, adding that one “cannot afford not to exploit this incredible material, but neither can we afford to get it wrong – as we did with asbestos”. 

Thus he said the focus should now be on proving that these materials are safe rather than on proving that they are hazardous. He also said policymakers should ensure that the current regulations are explicit and robust enough to ensure the safe development of carbon nanotube technologies. 

The European Commission has recently carried out a review of the current EU legislation to establish whether new regulatory action is required to cover risks in relation to nanomaterials. A communication on the issue, stating no new regulation is needed, will be published soon. 

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