# Health concerns regarding nanotubes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-concerns-regarding-nanotubes/435471>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-concerns-regarding-nanotubes/435471 "2008-01-29T17:06:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-concerns-regarding-nanotubes/435471/1 "2008-01-29T17:06:45Z")

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I keep seeing [news items](http://nanotech.physorg.com/) about nanotubes and potential uses and new technologies associated with them. Most of the developments look exciting, albeit to be realized in the future.

I have seen very little with regards to health concerns with them. Asbestos was widely used years ago because of the insulating properties. After it was discovered that the tiny fibres caused serious health problems, its use was reduced and removal services are required to clean up old sites.

Is the same sort of health risk being assessed with nanotubes? I keep seeing information where they want to use them as drug delivery systems to be able to take medicine directly to the cellular level.

I can’t imagine what kind of lockdown/cleanup would be required if a container of the things spilled on the floor.

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**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-concerns-regarding-nanotubes/435471/2 "2008-01-29T17:13:41Z")

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[The people in the field are definitely considering the implications of nanotechnology/nanomaterials.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6153814.stm)

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**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-concerns-regarding-nanotubes/435471/3 "2008-01-30T00:13:01Z")

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unmodified nanotubes do appear quite toxic

> **[A review of carbon nanotube toxicity and assessment of potential occupational...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16686422/)**
>
> Nanotechnology has emerged at the forefront of science research and technology development. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are major building blocks of this new technology. They possess unique electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, with potential...

however modifying them to make them water soluble (which one would do for most drug applications) appears to make them much safer

[http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/23477](http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/23477)