Exposure to carbon nanotubes may be harmful to health
The HSE in a newly released information sheet has advised people coming in contact of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to observe precautions as recent studies have indicated that the substance can potentially have harmful effects on health. The HSE information sheet also asks employers to take conscious steps to avoid harm that exposure to CNTs can cause to the employees.
To avoid the repercussions of a visit from HSE officials companies should bring themselves and their employees fully up-to-date with the latest H&S regulations. Find out more about enrolling your staff onto the nebosh general certificate which is a highly reputable course run by Workplace Law Training and is a good first step to improving your companies H&S culture.
CNTs are man made materials composed through a molecular level fabrication of carbon. There are two types of CNTs- single-walled and multi-walled CNTs, differing from each other based on their chemical composition. Some of the CNTs are pure carbon whereas some contain metals and other substances to lend them specific properties. They can be sixty time stronger and six times lighter than steel.
The cause of worry stems from the fact that CNTs and asbestos share some key properties, such as their shape and their persistence in the lungs of animals during lab trials. This has led some researchers to speculate that CNTs too could be as harmful as asbestos to humans.
While stating the caution on use of CNTs, the HSE refers to a Nature Nanotechnology paper which studied the similarities between asbestos and CNTs. The HSE admitted that the research work does not conclude on the harmful effects of CNTs, however, in the light of research observations, it has suggested that one must take due precautions.
The HSE has also suggested that CNTs should be marked as non-tested, potentially harmful substances, so that employees are aware that they could be exposing themselves to danger and thus take proper precautions.
