Toxicity and Environmental Impact of Carbon Nanotubes

Chapter
Part of the Carbon Nanostructures book series (CARBON)

Abstract

As the number of applications of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in the field of nanomedicine is growing quickly (imaging, drug delivery, scaffolds for tissue engineering), questions are raised about their potential toxicity. Because their annual production is now reaching hundreds of tons per year, their application in composite materials is becoming a reality. Dissemination in the environment could also happen during different steps of their life cycle, from their production to their processing, use and finally during disposal or recycling. We will review in this paper the state of the art in the field of toxicity and ecotoxicity of carbon nanotubes and try to highlight some recommendations.

Keywords

Tennis Racket Residual Catalyst Ambystoma Mexicanum Frustrate Phagocytosis Toxicity Investigation 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

References

  1. 1.
    Flahaut, E., Bacsa, R., Peigney, A., et al.: Gram-scale CCVD synthesis of double-walled carbon nanotubes. Chem. Commun. 12, 1442–1443 (2003)Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    Peigney, A., Laurent, C., Flahaut, E., et al.: Specific surface area of carbon nanotubes and bundles of carbon nanotubes. Carbon 39, 507–514 (2001)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Oberdorster, G., Sharp, Z., Atudorei, V., et al.: TITRE. Inhal. Toxicol. 16, 437–445 (2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Flahaut, E., Agnoli, F., Sloan, J., et al.: CCVD synthesis and characterization of cobalt-encapsulated nanoparticles. Chem. Mater. 14, 2553–2558 (2002)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Risk assessment of products of nanotechnologies Technical report, SCENIHR, (2009)Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Zorbas, V., Ortiz-Acevedo, A., Dalton, A., et al.: Preparation and characterization of individual peptide-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 7222–7227 (2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Star, A., Steuerman, D., Heath, J., et al.: Starched carbon nanotubes. Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 41, 2508–2512 (2002)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Bandyopadhyaya, R., Nativ-Roth, E., Regev, O., et al.: Stabilization of individual carbon nanotubes in aqueous solutions. Nano Lett. 2, 25–28 (2002)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Datsyuk, V., Landois, P., Fitremann, J., et al.: Double-walled carbon nanotube dispersion via surfactant substitution. J. Mater. Chem. 19, 2729–2736 (2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Lam, C., James, J., McCluskey, R., et al.: Pulmonary toxicity of single-wall carbon nanotubes in mice 7 and 90 days after intra-tracheal instillation. Toxicol. Sci. 77, 126–134 (2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Warheit, D., Laurence, B., Reed, K., et al.: Comparative pulmonary toxicity assessment of single-wall carbon nanotubes in rats. Toxicol. Sci. 77, 117–125 (2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Muller, J., Huaux, F., Moreau, N., et al.: Respiratory toxicity of multi-wall carbon nanotubes. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 207, 221–231 (2005)Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Poland, C., Duffin, R., Kinloch, I., et al.: Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study. Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 423–428 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Pacurari, M., Yin, X., Zhao, J., et al.: Raw single-wall carbon nanotubes induce oxidative stress and activate MAPKs, AP-1, NF-B, and Akt in normal and malignant human mesothelial cells. Environ. Health Perspect. 116, 1211–1217 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Kagan, V., Tyurina, Y., Tyurin, V., et al.: Direct and indirect effects of single walled carbon nanotubes on RAW 264.7 macrophages: role of iron. Toxicol. Lett. 165, 88–100 (2006)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Lademann, J., Weigmann, H., Rickmeyer, C., Barthelmes, H., Schaefer, H., Mueller, G., Sterry, W.: Skin Pharmacol. Appl. Skin Physiol. 12, 247–256 (1999)Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    Larese, F., D’Agostin, F., Crosera, M., et al.: Human skin penetration of silver nanoparticles through intact and damaged skin. Toxicology 255, 33–37 (2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Murray, A., Kisin, E., Leonard, S., et al.: Oxidative stress and inflammatory response in dermal toxicity of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Toxicology 257, 161–171 (2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Monteiro-Riviere, N., Nemanich, R., Inman, A., et al.: Multi-walled carbon nanotube interactions with human epidermal keratinocytes. Toxicol. Lett. 155, 377–384 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Salvador-Morales, C., Flahaut, E., Sim, E., et al.: Complement activation and protein adsorption by carbon nanotubes. Mol. Immunol. 43, 193–201 (2006)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Salvador-Morales, C., Townsend, P., Flahaut, E., et al.: Binding of pulmonary surfactant proteins to carbon nanotubes; potential for damage to lung immune defence mechanisms. Carbon 45, 607–617 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Muller, J., Decordier, I., Hoet, P., et al.: Clastogenic and aneugenic effects of multi-wall carbon nanotubes in epithelial cells. Carcinogenesis 29, 427–433 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Muller, J., Huaux, F., Fonseca, A., et al.: Structural defects play a major role in the acute lung toxicity of multiwall carbon nanotubes: toxicological aspects. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 21, 1698–1705 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Lindberg, H., Falck, G., Suhonen, S., et al.: Genotoxicity of nanomaterials: DNA damage and micronuclei induced by carbon nanotubes and graphite nanofibres in human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. Toxicol. Lett. 186, 166–173 (2009)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Petersen, E., Huang, Q., Weber, W.: Ecological uptake and depuration of carbon nanotubes by Lumbriculus variegatus. Environ. Health. Perspect. 116, 496–500 (2008)Google Scholar
  26. 26.
    Templeton, R., Ferguson, P., Washburn, K., et al.: Life-cycle effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on an estuarine meiobenthic copepod. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 7387–7393 (2006)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Roberts, A., Mount, A., Seda, B., et al.: In vivo biomodification of lipid-coated carbon nanotubes by Daphnia magna. Environ. Sci. Technol. 41, 3025–3029 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. 28.
    Kennedy, A., Hull, M., Steevens, J., et al.: Factors influencing the partitioning and toxicity of nanotubes in the aquatic environment. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 27, 1932–1941 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. 29.
    Cheng, J., Flahaut, E., Cheng, S.: Effect of carbon nanotubes on developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 26, 708–716 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. 30.
    Smith, C., Shaw, B., Handy, R.: Toxicity of single walled carbon nanotubes to rainbow trout, (Oncorhynchus mykiss): respiratory toxicity, organ pathologies, and other physiological effects. Aquat. Toxicol. 82, 94–109 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. 31.
    Mouchet, F., Landois, P., Flahaut, E., et al.: Assessment of the potential in vivo ecotoxicity of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) in water, using the amphibian Ambystoma mexicanum. Nanotoxicology 1, 149–156 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. 32.
    Mouchet, F., Landois, P., Sarremejean, E., et al.: Characterisation and in vivo ectoxicity evaluation of double-wall carbon nanotubes in larvae of the amphibian Xenopus laevis. Aquat. Toxicol. 87, 127–137 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer -Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.UPS, INP, CNRS, Institut Carnot CirimatUniversité de ToulouseToulouse Cedex 9France

Personalised recommendations