EU voices health concerns over carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles

Published: 26-Feb-2009

Health concerns have been raised by an EU scientific committee about the use of carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles in consumer products, including cosmetics.


Health concerns have been raised by an EU scientific committee about the use of carbon nanotubes and silver nanoparticles in consumer products, including cosmetics.

The EU’s scientific committee on emerging and newly identified health risks has focused particularly on nanotubes, noting that when they have “similar characteristics as some types of hazardous asbestos… similar inflammatory reactions can be induced by the nanotubes as asbestos”. For this to happen, nanotubes need “long thin fibrous forms (length >20 micrometre), rigidity and non-degradability (biopersistence)”. It is thought there would also have to be a risk of inhalation for health risks to be posed, noting “a risk for mesothelioma [the cancer usually caused by asbestos] cannot be excluded”, a particular concern for workers processing or manufacturing nanotubes.

On nanosilver, the report highlighted a toxicity study where an “accumulation of silver was observed in all organs examined, ie blood, brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, stomach and testes”.

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