Toxicity Of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes Research Articles

Combined effect of single-walled carbon nanotubes and cadmium on human lung cancer cells.

Co-exposure of widely used single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and ubiquitous cadmium (Cd) to humans through ambient air is unavoidable. Studies on joint toxicity of SWCNTs and Cd in human cells are scarce. We aimed to investigate the joint effects of SWCNTs and Cd in human lung epithelial (A549) cells. Results showed that SWCNTs were safe while Cd induce significant toxicity to A549 cells. Remarkably, Cd-induced cell viability reduction, lactate dehydrogenase leakage, cell cycle arrest, dysregulation of apoptotic gene (p53, bax, bcl-2, casp3, and casp9), and mitochondrial membrane potential depletion were significantly mitigated following SWCNTs co-exposure. Cd-induced intracellular level of reactive oxygen species, hydrogen peroxide, and lipid peroxidation were significantly attenuated by SWCNT co-exposure. Moreover, glutathione depletion and lower activity of antioxidant enzymes after Cd exposure were also effectively abrogated by co-exposure of SWCNTs. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry study indicated that higher adsorption of Cd on SCWNTs might decreased cellular uptake and the toxic potential of Cd in A549 cells. Our work warranted further research to explore the potential mechanism of joint effects of SWCNTs and Cd at in vivo levels.

In Vitro Evaluation of DSPE-PEG (5000) Amine SWCNT Toxicity and Efficacy as a Novel Nanovector Candidate in Photothermal Therapy by Response Surface Methodology (RSM).

Nowadays, finding a novel, effective, biocompatible, and minimally invasive cancer treatment is of great importance. One of the most promising research fields is the development of biocompatible photothermal nanocarriers. PTT (photothermal therapy) with an NIR (near-infrared) wavelength range (700–2000 nm) would cause cell death by increasing intercellular and intracellular temperature. PTT could also be helpful to overcome drug resistance during cancer treatments. In this study, an amine derivative of phospholipid poly ethylene glycol (DSPE-PEG (5000) amine) was conjugated with SWCNTs (single-walled carbon nanotubes) to reduce their intrinsic toxicity. Toxicity studies were performed on lung, liver, and ovarian cancer cell lines that were reported to show some degree of drug resistance to cisplatin. Toxicity results suggested that DSPE-PEG (5000) amine SWCNTs might be biocompatible photothermal nanocarriers in PTT. Therefore, our next step was to investigate the effect of DSPE-PEG (5000) amine SWCNT concentration, cell treatment time, and laser fluence on the apoptosis/necrosis of SKOV3 cells post-NIR exposure by RSM and experimental design software. It was concluded that photothermal efficacy and total apoptosis would be dose-dependent in terms of DSPE-PEG (5000) amine SWCNT concentration and fluence. Optimal solutions which showed the highest apoptosis and lowest necrosis were then achieved.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Attenuate Cytotoxic and Oxidative Stress Response of Pb in Human Lung Epithelial (A549) Cells.

Combined exposure of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and trace metal lead (Pb) in ambient air is unavoidable. Most of the previous studies on the toxicity of SWCNTs and Pb have been conducted individually. There is a scarcity of information on the combined toxicity of SWCNTs and Pb in human cells. This work was designed to explore the combined effects of SWCNTs and Pb in human lung epithelial (A549) cells. SWCNTs were prepared through the plasma-enhanced vapor deposition technique. Prepared SWCNTs were characterized by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering. We observed that SWCNTs up to a concentration of 100 µg/mL was safe, while Pb induced dose-dependent (5–100 µg/mL) cytotoxicity in A549 cells. Importantly, cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest, mitochondrial membrane potential depletion, lipid peroxidation, and induction of caspase-3 and -9 enzymes following Pb exposure (50 µg/mL for 24 h) were efficiently attenuated by the co-exposure of SWCNTs (10 µg/mL for 24 h). Furthermore, generation of Pb-induced pro-oxidants (reactive oxygen species and hydrogen peroxide) and the reduction of antioxidants (antioxidant enzymes and glutathione) were also mitigated by the co-exposure of SWCNTs. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry results suggest that the adsorption of Pb on the surface of SWCNTs could attenuate the bioavailability and toxicity of Pb in A549 cells. Our data warrant further research on the combined effects of SWCNTs and Pb in animal models.

Toxicity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs): Effect of Lengths, Functional Groups and Electronic Structures Revealed by a Quantitative Toxicogenomics Assay.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are a group of widely used carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) with various applications, which raise increasing public concerns associated with their potential toxicological effect and risks on human and ecosystems. In this report, we comprehensively evaluated the nanotoxicity of SWCNTs with their relationship to varying lengths, functional groups and electronic structures, by employing both newly established quantitative toxicogenomics test, as well as conventional phenotypic bioassays. The objective is to reveal potential cellular toxicity and mechanisms of SWCNTs at the molecular level, and to probe their potential relationships with their morphological, surface, and electronic properties. The results indicated that DNA damage and oxidative stress were the dominant mechanisms of action for all SWCNTs and, the toxicity level and characteristics varied with length, surface functionalization and electronic structure. Distinguishable molecular toxicity fingerprints were revealed for the two SWCNTs with varying length, with short SWCNT exhibiting higher toxicity level than the long one. In terms of surface properties, SWCNT functionalization, namely carboxylation and hydroxylation, led to elevated overall toxicity, especially genotoxicity, as compared to unmodified SWCNT. Carboxylated SWCNT induced a greater toxicity than the hydroxylated SWCNT. The nucleus is likely the primary target site for long, short, and carboxylated SWCNTs and mechanical perturbation is likely responsible for the DNA damage, specifically related to degradation of the DNA double helix structure. Finally, dramatically different electronic structure-dependent toxicity was observed with metallic SWCNT exerting much higher toxicity than the semiconducting one that exhibited minimal toxicity among all SWCNTs.

Single-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes induce oxidative stress in isolated rat brain mitochondria.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are broadly applicable across a variety of industrial fields. Despite their usefulness in many different applications, oxidative stress-induced toxicity of SWCNTs and MWCNTs has not been widely investigated. The present study examined the effects of SWCNTs and MWCNTs on rat brain mitochondria using the 3,4 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and indices of reactive oxygen species (ROS), based on measurements of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and mitochondrial membrane potential. Based on the MTT assay, exposure to SWCNTs and MWCNTs decreased mitochondrial survival and viability in a dose-dependent manner. Findings also indicated that MWCNTs and SWCNTs could damage mitochondrial membranes and induce the formation of ROS, as indicated by increased levels of MDA and decreased GSH content. The results of this study suggest that SWCNTs and MWCNTs likely damage brain tissue mitochondria by increasing oxidative stress and possibly activating the apoptosis pathway as well as other pathways of cytotoxicity.

INGESTED SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES AFFECT ON IMMUNOLOGICAL, HEMATOLOGICAL AND MICROOECOLOGICAL INDICES OF WISTAR RATS

Introduction. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can create risks to human health when they enter the body by oral route when used in packaging materials, as promising agrochemicals and pesticides. The aim of the study. Evaluation of the subacute oral toxicity of SWCNT in rats. Material and methods. In the 92-days of the experiment, the SWCNTs were administered to rats along with drinking water at doses of 0 (control); 0.01; 0.1; 1.0 and 10 mg/kg body weight (BW) in the groups 1-5, respectively. Hematological indices of blood, apoptosis of hepatocytes, levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood plasma and their production by cells of the spleen ex vivo, the content of the main and transient components of the intestinal microbiocenosis in the cecum were studied. There were determined hematological blood counts, hepatocyte apoptosis, levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in blood plasma and their production by spleen cells ex vivo, content in the cecum of the main and transient components of the intestinal microbiocenosis. Results. At the SWCNT dose of 0.01 mg/kg BW there was a decrease in the number of neutrophils and basophils, an increase in the number of lymphocytes, and a decrease in the number and volume of platelets. At a dose of 0.1 mg/kg bw there was noted a decrease in the number of cells in the early stage of apoptosis and the total number of cells in apoptosis, as well as a significant decrease in the levels of cytokines IL-10, IL-2, IL-4, IL-13, chemokine MIP-3a, TGF-β isoform 1; at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg IL-12p70, and TGF-β isoforms 1 and 3. TGF- β2 level was significantly elevated in group 5. The suppressive effect was noted for SWCNTs on the mold flora in intestinal contents at all doses of nanomaterial used, whereas the number of yeasts increased at 1 mg/kg BW. The immunization of rats with ovalbumin had a clear modulating effect on the immunotropic effects of SWCNTs administered at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg BW in a 28-days experiment. Discussion. The mechanisms of the observed changes development are likely to be associated with both systemic anti-inflammatory effects and with a decrease in the effect of SWCNT on the permeability of the intestinal barrier to protein antigens and microbial toxins. Conclusion. SWCNTs exhibit a number of effects in relation to the studied indices that do not demonstrate a monotonic dependence on the dose of nanomaterial, which, apparently, is related to the processes of aggregation of the SWCNT.

Assessment of the Toxicity of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Using Different Types of Cell Cultures: Review of the Current State of Knowledge

With the growing global market of nanocarbon materials, including single-wall nanotubes (SWCNTs), the number of people that may be exposed to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the form of aerosols is growing as well. In vitro methods are a promising means for obtaining an accelerated evaluation of SWCNT toxicity. Toxic effects due to SWCNTs have been investigated in the last decade using various types of cell cultures, but conclusions about their toxicity are not unequivocal. In a number of studies, dose-dependent effects such as cytotoxicity, reduction in cell viability, inhibition of cell proliferation, apoptosis, nitric oxide release, oxidative stress, and a reduction in the level of antioxidants have been reported. Other studies find little to no cytotoxic effects of SWCNTs on different cell cultures. To date, there is no ambiguity in the findings on the comparative toxicity of SWCNTs and multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs). While some authors report that SWCNTs exhibit considerable cytotoxicity, others find no considerable toxicity associated with the two types of CNTs. Finding an optimal route for preparing stable SWCNT dispersions for in vitro studies is an important methodological problem in researching SWCNT toxicity.

Iron-related toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes and crocidolite fibres in human mesothelial cells investigated by Synchrotron XRF microscopy

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising products in industry and medicine, but there are several human health concerns since their fibrous structure resembles asbestos. The presence of transition metals, mainly iron, in the fibres seems also implicated in the pathogenetic mechanisms. To unravel the role of iron at mesothelial level, we compared the chemical changes induced in MeT-5A cells by the exposure to asbestos (crocidolite) or CNTs at different content of iron impurities (raw-SWCNTs, purified- and highly purified-SWCNTs). We applied synchrotron-based X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) microscopy and soft X-ray imaging (absorption and phase contrast images) to monitor chemical and morphological changes of the exposed cells. In parallel, we performed a ferritin assay. X-ray microscopy imaging and XRF well localize the crocidolite fibres interacting with cells, as well as the damage-related morphological changes. Differently, CNTs presence could be only partially evinced by low energy XRF through carbon distribution and sometimes iron co-localisation. Compared to controls, the cells treated with raw-SWCNTs and crocidolite fibres showed a severe alteration of iron distribution and content, with concomitant stimulation of ferritin production. Interestingly, highly purified nanotubes did not altered iron metabolism. The data provide new insights for possible CNTs effects at mesothelial/pleural level in humans.

Attenuation of bacterial cytotoxicity of carbon nanotubes by riverine suspended solids in water.

The impact of solid particles on ecotoxicity of nanomaterials in water environments is poorly understood. This study investigated the effect of natural riverine suspended solids (SPS) on the cytotoxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) towards a bacterium, Ochrobactrum sp. in water. Compared with SWCNT suspension without SPS, the presence of SPS at different concentrations ranging from 20 to 400mgL-1 markedly increased the survival rates of bacteria exposed to 50mgL-1 SWCNTs and bacterial survival rates increased with SPS concentrations by a power law. Sedimentation experiments and field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed the occurrence of heteroaggregation between SWCNTs and SPS, probably responsible for the reduced SWCNT toxicity. Furthermore, the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (ExDLVO) calculation showed the mitigated toxicity might also result from the decreased SWCNT-bacterium interaction energy with the increased SPS concentrations and the stronger SPS-SWCNT interaction than the SWCNT-bacterium interaction. This work provides new insights into our understanding of environmental hazards of engineered nanomaterials in aquatic systems.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) inhibit heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) signaling in human lung fibroblasts and keratinocytes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are carbon-based nanomaterials that possess immense industrial potential. Despite accumulating evidence that exposure to SWCNTs might be toxic to humans, our understanding of the mechanisms for cellular toxicity of SWCNTs remain limited. Here, we demonstrated that acute exposure of short (1–3μm) and regular-length (5–30μm) pristine, carboxylated or hydroxylated SWCNTs inhibited cell proliferation in human somatic and human stem cells in a cell type-dependent manner. The toxicity of regular-length pristine SWCNT was most evidenced in NP69>CYT00086>MCF-10A>MRC-5>HaCaT > HEK-293T>HepG2. In contrast, the short pristine SWCNTs were relatively less toxic in most of the cells being tested, except for NP69 which is more sensitive to short pristine SWCNTs as compared to regular-length pristine SWCNTs. Interestingly, carboxylation and hydroxylation of regular-length SWCNTs, but not the short SWCNTs, significantly reduced the cytotoxicity. Exposure of SWCNTs also induced caspase 3 and 9 activities, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and significant apoptosis and necrosis in MRC-5 embryonic lung fibroblasts. In contrast, SWCNTs inhibited the proliferation of HaCaT human keratinocytes without inducing cell death. Further analyses by gene expression profiling and Connectivity Map analysis showed that SWCNTs induced a gene expression signature characteristic of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibition in MRC-5 cells, suggesting that SWCNTs may inhibit the HSP90 signaling pathway. Indeed, exposure of MRC-5 cells to SWCNTs results in a dose-dependent decrease in HSP90 client proteins (AKT, CDK4 and BCL2) and a concomitant increase in HSP70 expression. In addition, SWCNTs also significantly inhibited HSP90-dependent protein refolding. Finally, we showed that ectopic expression of HSP90, but not HSP40 or HSP70, completely abrogated the cytotoxic effects of SWCNTs, suggesting that SWCNT-induced cellular toxicity is HSP90 dependent. In summary, our findings suggest that the toxic effects of SWCNTs are mediated through inhibition of HSP90 in human lung fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Insight into the Mechanisms of Combined Toxicity of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Nickel Ions in Macrophages: Role of P2X7 Receptor.

Coexistence of nanomaterials and environmental pollutants requires in-depth understanding of combined toxicity and underlying mechanism. In this work, we found that coexposure to the mixture of noncytotoxic level of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) (10 μg/mL) and Ni2+ (20 μM) induced significant cytotoxicity in macrophages. However, almost equal amount of intracellular Ni2+ was detected after Ni2+/SWCNT coexposure or Ni2+ single exposure, indicating no enhanced cellular uptake of Ni2+ occurred. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed 50% more SWCNTs retained in Ni2+/SWCNT exposed cells than that with SWCNT exposure alone, regardless of the exposure sequence (coexposure, Ni2+ pre- or post-treatment), suggesting inhibited SWCNT exocytosis by Ni2+. The increased cellular dose of SWCNTs could quantitatively account for the elevated toxicity of Ni2+/SWCNT mixture to cells. It was then found that agonist (ATP) and antagonist (o-ATP) of P2X7R could regulate intracellular SWCNT amount and the cytotoxicity accordingly. In addition, inhibition of P2X7R by P2X7-targeting siRNA diminished the inhibitory effect of Ni2+. It was therefore concluded that Ni2+ impeded SWCNT exocytosis by inhibiting P2X7R, leading to higher intracellular retention of SWCNTs and elevated cytotoxicity. Our work identified exocytosis inhibition as an important mechanism for SWCNT/Ni2+ toxicity, and revealed the crucial role of P2X7R in mediating such inhibitory effect.

A review of toxicity studies of single-walled carbon nanotubes in laboratory animals

We summarized the findings of in vivo toxicity studies of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in laboratory animals. The large majority addressed the pulmonary toxicity of SWCNTs in rodents. Inhalation, pharyngeal aspiration, and intratracheal instillation studies revealed that SWCNTs caused acute and chronic inflammation, granuloma formation, collagen deposition, fibrosis, and genotoxic effects in the lungs. Pulmonary toxicity of well-dispersed SWCNTs was more potent than less dispersed ones. Airway exposure to SWCNTs also induced cardiovascular diseases in mice. Oxidative stress was caused by the administration of SWCNTs. Injected SWCNTs were distributed throughout most of the organs including the brain, mainly retained in the lungs, liver, and spleen, and eliminated through the kidney and bile duct. Orally administered SWCNTs are suggested to be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract to the blood circulation in mice and rats. Although no definitive study on the carcinogenicity of SWCNTs is available at present, evidence of carcinogenicity has not been reported in toxicity studies cited in this review. Overall, the available data provides initial information on SWCNT toxicity. To further clarify their toxicity and risk assessment, studies should be conducted using well-characterized SWCNTs, standard protocols, and the relevant route and doses of human exposure.

In situ and fast detection of single-walled carbon nanotubes by using DNA mediated aggregation method and quartz crystal microbalance

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted great interest from scientific interest to industrial areas. Due to the toxicity effect of CNTs, assessment methods for CNTs are one of the noticeable issues. In this work, we report the in situ and fast detection of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by using a quartz crystal microbalance. The detection is based on DNA hybridization between the DNA on a quartz electrode and the DNA of aggregated SWCNTs. It is shown that our detection tool is capable of the in situ and fast detection of 5 min with the limit of detection (LOD) of 10 ng ml−1 in distilled water. Furthermore, our detection tool is able to detect SWCNTs in a real practical sample of tap water with the LOD of 100 ng ml−1. Our work sheds light on a direct monitoring tool that could detect and assess the toxicity of SWCNTs in a real environment.

Toxic Effect of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes Combined with Cadmium to the Crustacean <i>Daphnia magna</i>

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) on the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) using the crustacean Daphnia magna. LC50 of Cd and SWCNT alone and combined were calculated and compared. Sorption of Cd on SWCNT was also quantified in separate batch experiments. Results showed that the maximum adsorption of Cd onto SWCNT calculated by the Langmuir equation was 24.4 mg kg-1. LC50s for Cd and SWCNT alone were 252.3 µg L-1 and 1400 µg L-1, respectively. In the presence of 500 and 1000 µg L-1 of SWCNT, Cd LC50s were 127.2 and 120.1 µg L-1 respectively. Therefore, Cd toxicity increased when organisms were exposed to both contaminants which indicated that SWCNT induces a synergistic toxic effect on the survival of D. magna. It appears that even if SWCNT had a low adsorption capacity for Cd, toxicity of the metal can be increased. Our study shows the complexity of SWCNT toxicity and how the understanding of their interactions with other contaminants is crucial to determine the consequences of their release into the environment.

Toxic Effect of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes Combined with Cadmium to the Crustacean <i>Daphnia magna</i>

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) on the toxicity of cadmium (Cd) using the crustacean Daphnia magna. LC50 of Cd and SWCNT alone and combined were calculated and compared. Sorption of Cd on SWCNT was also quantified in separate batch experiments. Results showed that the maximum adsorption of Cd onto SWCNT calculated by the Langmuir equation was 24.4 mg kg-1. LC50s for Cd and SWCNT alone were 252.3 µg L-1 and 1400 µg L-1, respectively. In the presence of 500 and 1000 µg L-1 of SWCNT, Cd LC50s were 127.2 and 120.1 µg L-1 respectively. Therefore, Cd toxicity increased when organisms were exposed to both contaminants which indicated that SWCNT induces a synergistic toxic effect on the survival of D. magna. It appears that even if SWCNT had a low adsorption capacity for Cd, toxicity of the metal can be increased. Our study shows the complexity of SWCNT toxicity and how the understanding of their interactions with other contaminants is crucial to determine the consequences of their release into the environment.

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Toxicity to the Freshwater Amphipod Hyalella Azteca: Influence of to the Freshwater Amphipod Sediment and Exposure Duration.

Carbon nanomaterials are present in various industrial applications and therefore their release into the environment including freshwater ecosystem is expected to increase. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of several parameters on the toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) to the freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca. The effect of period of exposure, sediment presence and possible impurities released during SWCNT preparation on survival and/or growth of such organism was evaluated. We measured a reduction of survival at concentrations ranging from 10 to 40 mg/L after 96-h exposure, while no mortality was observed with the same concentrations and in the presence of artificial sediment after 14 days of exposure. It is possible that SWCNT are adsorbed on the organic matter from the artificial sediment leading to a decrease of SWCNT bioavailability. The survival and growth toxicity tests revealed a stronger effect at 28 days compared to the 14 days of exposure, and full mortality of organisms at 1000 mg/L for both exposure times. The presence of SWCNT in the gut of survived organisms was observed. The present study demonstrates that the interaction with sediment should be considered when carbon nanotubes toxicity through water exposure is investigated.

Size effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes on in vivo and in vitro pulmonary toxicity

To elucidate the effect of size on the pulmonary toxicity of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), we prepared two types of dispersed SWCNTs, namely relatively thin bundles with short linear shapes (CNT-1) and thick bundles with long linear shapes (CNT-2), and conducted rat intratracheal instillation tests and in vitro cell-based assays using NR8383 rat alveolar macrophages. Total protein levels, MIP-1α expression, cell counts in BALF, and histopathological examinations revealed that CNT-1 caused pulmonary inflammation and slower recovery and that CNT-2 elicited acute lung inflammation shortly after their instillation. Comprehensive gene expression analysis confirmed that CNT-1-induced genes were strongly associated with inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, and immune system processes at 7 or 30 d post-instillation. Numerous genes were significantly upregulated or downregulated by CNT-2 at 1 d post-instillation. In vitro assays demonstrated that CNT-1 and CNT-2 SWCNTs were phagocytized by NR8383 cells. CNT-2 treatment induced cell growth inhibition, reactive oxygen species production, MIP-1α expression, and several genes involved in response to stimulus, whereas CNT-1 treatment did not exert a significant impact in these regards. These results suggest that SWCNTs formed as relatively thin bundles with short linear shapes elicited delayed pulmonary inflammation with slower recovery. In contrast, SWCNTs with a relatively thick bundle and long linear shapes sensitively induced cellular responses in alveolar macrophages and elicited acute lung inflammation shortly after inhalation. We conclude that the pulmonary toxicity of SWCNTs is closely associated with the size of the bundles. These physical parameters are useful for risk assessment and management of SWCNTs.

Chemical and toxicological evolution of carbon nanotubes during atmospherically relevant aging processes.

The toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has received significant attention due to their usage in a wide range of commercial applications. While numerous studies exist on their impacts in water and soil ecosystems, there is a lack of information on the exposure to CNTs from the atmosphere. The transformation of CNTs in the atmosphere, resulting in their functionalization, may significantly alter their toxicity. In the current study, the chemical modification of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via ozone and OH radical oxidation is investigated through studies that simulate a range of expected tropospheric particulate matter (PM) lifetimes, in order to link their chemical evolution to toxicological changes. The results indicate that the oxidation favors carboxylic acid functionalization, but significantly less than other studies performed under nonatmospheric conditions. Despite evidence of functionalization, neither O3 nor OH radical oxidation resulted in a change in redox activity (potentially giving rise to oxidative stress) or in cytotoxic end points. Conversely, both the redox activity and cytotoxicity of SWCNTs significantly decreased when exposed to ambient urban air, likely due to the adsorption of organic carbon vapors. These results suggest that the effect of gas-particle partitioning of organics in the atmosphere on the toxicity of SWCNTs should be investigated further.

Toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are an important class of nanomaterials, which have numerous novel properties that make them useful in technology and industry. Generally, there are two types of CNTs: single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes. SWNTs, in particular, possess unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, allowing for a wide range of applications in various fields, including the electronic, computer, aerospace, and biomedical industries. However, the use of SWNTs has come under scrutiny, not only due to their peculiar nanotoxicological profile, but also due to the forecasted increase in SWNT production in the near future. As such, the risk of human exposure is likely to be increased substantially. Yet, our understanding of the toxicological risk of SWNTs in human biology remains limited. This review seeks to examine representative data on the nanotoxicity of SWNTs by first considering how SWNTs are absorbed, distributed, accumulated and excreted in a biological system, and how SWNTs induce organ-specific toxicity in the body. The contradictory findings of numerous studies with regards to the potential hazards of SWNT exposure are discussed in this review. The possible mechanisms and molecular pathways associated with SWNT nanotoxicity in target organs and specific cell types are presented. We hope that this review will stimulate further research into the fundamental aspects of CNTs, especially the biological interactions which arise due to the unique intrinsic characteristics of CNTs.

Toxicity Effect of Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been known as one of the most important nanomaterials and their toxicological effects in vivo have been widely concerned. According to "Globally Harmonized System of classification and Labelling of Chemicals" (GHS) classification regulation, here, we analyzed the local toxicity (skin corrosion/irritation), acute oral toxicity, aquatic acute toxicity and reproductive toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with the "Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development" (OECD) recommended chemical toxicity standard test methods. The experimental results showed that the LD50 and LC50 of SWCNT are all higher (LC50 more than 5000 mg/kg bw, LC50 more than 100 mg/L), but the skin irritation score is 0.6. As the standard of GHS, that means the SWCNT has no acute oral toxicity and aquatic acute toxicity, but it belongs to skin mild irritation substance. The investigations of reproductive toxicity showed that rate of cell micronuclei formation was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in 10.0 mg/kg dose group, and rate of mice sperm deformity was increased too (p < 0.05) in infected groups indicating that the SWCNT played a potentially role in reproductive toxicity.