Abstract
Given their remarkable properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have made their way through various industrial and medicinal applications and the overall production of CNTs is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, thus requiring an additional recruitment of workers. However, their unique applications and desirable properties are fraught with concerns regarding occupational exposure. The concern about worker exposure to CNTs arises from the results of recent animal studies. Short-term and sub-chronic exposure studies in rodents have shown consistent adverse health effects such as pulmonary inflammation, granulomas, fibrosis, genotoxicity and mesothelioma after inhalation or instillation of several types of CNTs. Furthermore, physicochemical properties of CNTs such as dispersion, functionalization and particle size can significantly affect their pulmonary toxicity. Risk estimates from animal studies necessitate implementation of protective measures to limit worker exposure to CNTs. Information on workplace exposure is very limited, however, studies have reported that CNTs can be aerosolized and attain respirable airborne levels during synthesis and processing activities in the workplace. Quantitative risk assessments from sub-chronic animal studies recommend the health-based need to reduce exposures below the recommended exposure limit of 1 µg/m3. Practice of prevention measures including the use of engineering controls, personal protective equipment, health surveillance program, safe handling and use, as well as worker training can significantly minimize worker exposure and improve worker health and safety.
Highlights
Since their discovery, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as ideal candidate for applications in industries such as electronics, energy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture and medical diagnostics due to their unique physicochemical properties including high tensile strength and conductivity [1,2,3]
A recent long-term inhalation study demonstrated that multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) induced a fibrotic response that persisted up to 336 days postexposure and exhibited particle size-dependent retention in the lungs [24]
MWCNT injected into the peritoneal cavity of mice or rats generated fiber length-dependent inflammation/genetic damage and mesothelioma [40]. These findings are important in understanding whether CNTs have the potential to cause asbestos-like pleural lesions and whether workers are at risk of developing mesothelioma after chronic CNT exposure
Summary
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been considered as ideal candidate for applications in industries such as electronics, energy, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture and medical diagnostics due to their unique physicochemical properties including high tensile strength and conductivity [1,2,3]. Inhalation being the major route of exposure for CNTs, accumulating evidence indicates the pulmonary pathologic responses such as inflammation, oxidative stress, granulomas, genotoxicity, pleural and interstitial fibrosis following CNT exposure [14,15,16]. Data from existing animal studies as well as reported workplace airborne CNT levels strongly suggest the need to minimize worker exposure and protect worker health [17].
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