Mesothelioma and Nanotechnology
The knowledge that mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure is not new, but the development and use of nanotechnology over the past 30 years may prove to be a new link to the cancer. Nanotechnology is the science of controlling individual atoms and molecules to create products and materials. When tiny atoms and molecules are manipulated to form an object, they are referred to as carbon nanotubes.
Just as asbestos was used to manufacture numerous products, nanotechnology is being incorporated into a variety of commercial products. Among them: sporting equipment, automotive parts, sunscreen and cosmetics.
As its name suggests, nanotechnology is cutting-edge science, and its use is potentially unlimited. Not surprisingly, future projections report nanotechnology is on the rise.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral noted for its insulating and fire-resistant qualities in products, is strictly regulated in the United States in large part because of its causal relationship to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases. Nanotechnology is not regulated the same way.
Yet researchers have uncovered that carbon nanotubes exhibit a similar structure to asbestos fibers and may cause similar tumors like mesothelioma. Although the possibility of carbon nanotubes having a causal relationship with mesothelioma is still under investigation, some studies have already demonstrated a direct correlation between exposure to carbon nanotubes and mesothelioma formation.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that typically develops in the lining of the lungs and abdomen. If you've been diagnosed and would like to learn more, fill out the form on our informational packet page and we'll send you a free informational reference in the mail.
What is Nanotechnology?
The amount of materials being made at the nanoscale is increasing each year because carbon nanotubes are strong, yet extremely lightweight. Nanotubes are tube-shaped molecules just tens of nanometers in diameter, but together they can match the strength of steel. To put the size of nanotechnology in perspective, there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch and a sheet of newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.
The invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 is largely responsible for the emergence of nanotechnology. The microscope was the first of its kind with the ability to see individual atoms. From the 1980s to the late '90s, researchers studied the possibilities of nanotechnology. In the early 2000s, some of the first commercial applications of nanotechnology were manufactured.
In 2008, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that more than 800 products were being manufactured with carbon nanotubes, with three to four new products created each week. Today, manufacturers of tennis balls, golf balls, clothes, cars, computers and other products are using nanotechnology to improve their products. Estimates in 2009 revealed nanotechnology impacted $251 billion across the globe and 2015 estimates are projected for $2.4 trillion.
Can Carbon Nanotubes Cause Mesothelioma?
With any new form of technology, positive and negative impacts have to be measured. Nanotechnology researchers notice the needle-like fiber shape of carbon nanotubes and have compared them to the structure of asbestos fibers. Because of their similarities, studies have been conducted to determine whether exposure to carbon nanotubes can be responsible for the development of mesothelioma and other pleural diseases.
In the 2008 study "Carbon Nanotubes Introduced into the Abdominal Cavity of Mice Show Asbestos-Like Pathogenicity in a Pilot Study," researchers tried to determine if carbon nanotube exposure could cause similar health risks as asbestos exposure. Kenneth Donaldson, a professor from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and lead researcher of the study, said, "The results were clear. Long, thin carbon nanotubes showed the same effects as long, thin asbestos fibers."
However, Donaldson stressed that short, curly carbon nanotubes did not behave like asbestos fibers and that the possibility of exposure occurring through inhalation still needs to be investigated. Andrew Maynard, Chief Science Advisor to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies and co-author of the study, said, "This study is exactly the kind of strategic, highly focused research needed to ensure the safe and responsible development of nanotechnology."
Another study actually sought to test whether inhaled carbon nanotubes could reach the pleura (lining of the lungs) in mice. The 2009 study, conducted by North Carolina State University, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, showed that inhaling carbon nanotubes can affect the pleura and result in health effects.
The short-term study did not allow conclusions about long-term health complications such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, but inhaled nanotubes "clearly reach the target tissue for mesothelioma and cause a unique pathologic reaction on the surface of the pleura," according to Dr. James Bonner, associate professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at North Carolina State University and senior author of the study.
While researchers continue to explore short- and long-term health effects of nanotechnology, several studies are completed, and they indicate caution is warranted. Several studies showed carbon nanotube exposure is hazardous and can potentially cause mesothelioma, but clarification is needed.
For example, risk must also include the likelihood of exposure through inhalation. Although there is supporting evidence that shows inhalation is possible, the question remains whether there is an exposure risk during the manufacturing of products made with nanotechnology. Researchers now need to go into workplaces and perform air quality tests that can detect airborne carbon nanotubes.
A 2008 survey showed the rise of nanotechnology by estimating 400,000 workers would soon join the field to work with carbon nanotubes. A study funded by the National Science Foundation has since projected that about six million nanotechnology workers will be needed worldwide by 2020, with two million of those jobs occurring in the United States.
For more information about mesothelioma, check out our mesothelioma page or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive monthly updates about the latest in mesothelioma news.
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Last Modified Thursday, February 9th, 2012 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
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