Posted on 02/29/2008 9:21:00 PM PST by neverdem
How are nanos in contact with human skin, eyes, and lungs? Is this wonder material the asbestos of the future? I’ve worked with fiberglass, and when cutting and sanding it, that fine dust works its way right into your dermis. Compared to fiberglass dust, nano dust must be much worse in its ability to work its way right into your cells.
I love materials breakthroughs, but......let’s ponder the future downside to our healt.
Asbestos was once considered a wonder material too.
Asbestos was once considered a wonder material too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite
carbon nanotubes
New nanotube findings by Stanford researchers give boost to potential biomedical applications
The usual suspects are on the case, but I don't see how it is any more toxic than carbon or graphite, IMHO.
I’m just wondering if its micro size will allow it to slide through cell walls etc and interfere with functions, cause cancer etc.
From your second link:
“Carbon nanotubes are promising new materials for molecular delivery in biological systems. The long-term fate of nanotubes intravenously injected into animals in vivo is currently unknown, an issue critical to potential clinical applications of these materials. Here, using the intrinsic Raman spectroscopic signatures of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), we measured the blood circulation of intravenously injected SWNTs and detect SWNTs in various organs and tissues of mice ex vivo over a period of three months. Functionalization of SWNTs by branched polyethylene-glycol (PEG) chains was developed, enabling thus far the longest SWNT blood circulation up to 1 day, relatively low uptake in the reticuloendothelial system (RES), and near-complete clearance from the main organs in 2 months. Raman spectroscopy detected SWNT in the intestine, feces, kidney, and bladder of mice, suggesting excretion and clearance of SWNTs from mice via the biliary and renal pathways. No toxic side effect of SWNTs to mice was observed in necropsy, histology, and blood chemistry measurements. These findings pave the way to future biomedical applications of carbon nanotubes.”
IIRC, the idea is to attach an antibody specific to a cancer on one end of the nanotube and an active entity, or one that can be activated by radiation, that can kill the cancer cells on the other end.
Asbestos is STILL a wonder material. You only have to worry about it if you smoke. If you don’t, it’s harmless.
My 96 year old grandfather spent many a day making ‘snowballs’ out of the asbestos as they lay in large piles around the refinery, and throw them at other people.
He died of old age, had no lung problems whatsoever.
I just naturally worry about the unintended unknown health effects of a man-made unnatural form of carbon, that size, and what we may discover years too late.
...a billion billion nanotubes (more than 1017).heh...
This would be simple to overcome just use pink eraser tipped bullets. 
just damn a real life sky hook
The "dumbest idea ever" has sone prettystiff competetion.
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