Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found that some types of carbon nanotubes comprising cylindrical shape molecules measuring about one-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair could cause lung cancer in humans.
These minute fibres used for strengthening of everyday items including hockey sticks and bicycle frames could prove to be hazardous to health.
Types of carbon nanotubes
By conducting studies in mice, it was determined that shorter carbon nanotubes were comparatively harmless when they got into the lung cavity, however long carbon nanotubes could get stuck inside and cause a cancer, called mesothelioma. Researchers are trying to determine the level of risk by observing the number of long fibres present in the air in workplaces.
According to the study published in the American Journal of Pathology, it was evident that longer carbon nanotubes react with the lining of the lung.
Chair of Respiratory Toxicology at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Ken Donaldson, stated that carbon nanotubes are being manufactured on a large-scale and the global market for carbon nanotubes is in excess of £1 billion. He added that the research demonstrates that manufacturing certain carbon nanotubes types is hazardous to health.
The study shows the immediate need for industries to manufacture nanofibres of optimal length. The length should be optimized such that it prevents cancer and yet is useful.