Will the nanotubes go down the pipe?
Scandinavian scientists warn of the dangers of the latest fashionable technologies
Alexey Smirnov, Novye Izvestia
The whole world today is talking about the beginning of the nanorevolution, which will soon turn our lives around. Governments of many countries have developed special programs to stimulate research in the field of ultra-small particles and their applications. "Nano" is rapidly invading our lives, being present literally everywhere: from car coverings and shirts that repel dirt, to socks that kill bacteria, and medical instruments with amazing properties. Only in the last five years, according to the EU, the number of consumer goods using nanotechnology has grown from 50 to more than one thousand.
Microparticles designed to raise our civilization to a new level of development, however, can also become its killers. Daniel Tarshis, chairman of the Swedish State Council for Medical Ethics (SMER), announced the new danger in an open letter published on the pages of the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. This body makes recommendations to the authorities in various areas of life concerning the health and well-being of Swedish citizens.
"We do not know what happens to the body, into which tiny particles are introduced, which are part of food, medicines, cosmetics, clothing and toys. Testing methods are extremely imperfect and do not give a clear picture of what is happening. The Chemicals Inspectorate has been tasked by the government and Parliament to investigate the degree of danger of nanoparticles in various spheres of life and to develop standards for their use," writes Mr. Tarshis. At the same time, as he notes, the speed of the introduction of nanotechnology is significantly ahead of research concerning their dangers.
Recently, the Karolinska Medical Institute in Stockholm hosted a seminar on invisible "friends-enemies" of man. One of its participants, Associate Professor Bengt Fadeel, directs the EU-funded international Nanommune project dedicated to the effects of nanoparticles on the cells of living organisms. Although the results will be announced only in 2012, preliminary conclusions have already been made: nanoparticles weaken the immune system of humans and animals.
"Of course, we have come into contact with nanoparticles before, they arise, for example, if we light a stearin candle or turn on a gas stove. The problem is that their number and varieties are rapidly increasing every year, and it takes years to determine their danger," comments Danish Professor Hakan Wallin, who works at the Research Institute of Occupational Hygiene.
According to him, the harm of carbon nanotubes, widely used in modern industry, is most obvious. In their structure, they resemble asbestos fiber, which destroyed hundreds of thousands of people on the planet. The first to sound the alarm about the dangers of asbestos were insurance companies in the United States, which at the beginning of the last century refused to insure people who worked in asbestos production. They drew attention to the large number of lung diseases among the workers. However, it took decades of debate and research before asbestos was finally sentenced. This material was banned in the European Union only in 2005, but the number of its victims will grow for many years to come. According to the EU, by 2035 at least 400 thousand people will get lung cancer caused by asbestos dust. Nanoparticles that penetrate our body through the skin, through the nose and mouth can, according to Hokan Vallin, destroy cells in the same way as asbestos does.
Three scientists from the Chalmers Higher Technical School in Gothenburg pay attention to another dangerous field of application of nanotechnology: this is the inclusion of nanosilver in the composition of clothing. Tiny silver particles kill bacteria and eliminate the unpleasant odor caused by them, which is especially appreciated among athletes. People using "silver" clothes do not sweat and do not smell even as a result of significant physical exertion. According to the Gothenburg scientists, this area of silver application should be completely closed. Studies conducted on a number of living organisms have shown that nanosilver kills not only bacteria, but also human cells. The danger of many metals and alloys used in the nanoform is that these particles easily overcome the protective boundaries of the human body. In addition, the harmful properties of various "representatives of the periodic table" increase as the ratio "surface / volume" increases. That is, nanoparticles collectively have a gigantic surface, while having an insignificant volume.
All the experts who spoke at the seminar at the Karolinska Institute supported Daniel Tarshis' call to slow down the application of nanoparticles. It is necessary that research in the field of their harm to human health "catch up" with the work of scientists and engineers involved in the implementation. Otherwise, a new "asbestos" tragedy may await our civilization.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru11.02.2011