Posts in 'Inhalation'
March 25, 2009 |
Posted by Richard Denison in
Carbon Nanotubes, Health, Inhalation, NIOSH, Research, Worker Safety
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
Some months ago, my colleague John Balbus posted here about studies finding that when multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are injected into the abdominal cavities of mice, they induce inflammation and mesothelioma-like reactions similar to those caused by asbestos. He appropriately cautioned that – among other critical questions – these studies had not demonstrated that inhaled MWCNTs could actually move out of the lung and into the tissues where asbestos gives rise to its effects. Well, that particular dot now appears to have been connected. Read more »
December 12, 2008 |
Posted by Cal Baier-Anderson in
Industry, Inhalation, Nanosilver, Risk Assessment
Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist.
In 2004, Gunter Oberdorster and colleagues demonstrated that upon inhalation, ultrafine particles, the dimensions of which are measured in nanometers, can move from the nasal passages of rodents to the brain via a specialized nerve called the olfactory bulb. The evolutionary purpose of the olfactory bulb is to relay information about odors directly and rapidly from the nose to the brain.
The extent to which rapid transit via the olfactory bulb is a significant potential route of exposure to engineered nanomaterials is still an open question. But two new papers add support for the relevance of this intriguing exposure pathway, raising important questions regarding the safety of inhaled nanoparticles.
Read more »
October 31, 2008 |
Posted by Richard Denison in
Carbon Nanotubes, EPA, Health, Inhalation, Regulation, Risk Assessment, TSCA
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
My last post identified two Section 8(e) “substantial risk” notices pertaining to carbon nanotubes, one submitted by BASF, the other by Arkema. I have in my files one additional Section 8(e) notice for a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT), submitted by DuPont. With three Section 8(e) notices submitted for different rat pulmonary toxicity studies on carbon nanotubes, it’s interesting to compare their results. Read more »
October 13, 2008 |
Posted by Richard Denison in
Carbon Nanotubes, EPA, Environment, Health, Inhalation, Regulation, TSCA, Testing, Worker Safety
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
Since my first post concerning EPA’s Consent Order, I’ve been reflecting further on the management conditions it imposes – or, more accurately, on what conditions it doesn’t impose. The Order’s only such conditions address potential worker exposure. What about the rest of the nanomaterial’s lifecycle? Read more »
October 9, 2008 |
Posted by Richard Denison in
Carbon Nanotubes, EPA, Environment, Health, Inhalation, Regulation, TSCA, Testing, Worker Safety
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
[Part II of this post is available here.]
Word hit the street today that EPA intends to make public a “sanitized” version of a Consent Order it has negotiated with a producer of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). [A link will be provided once available.] We obtained a copy of the Order, which has redacted all information claimed confidential by the company involved. What can we learn from this well-scrubbed Order? Read more »
May 20, 2008 |
Posted by John Balbus in
Carbon Nanotubes, Health, Inhalation, Research, Testing
John Balbus, M.D., M.P.H., is Chief Health Scientist.
A new study published today in Nature Nanotechnology finds that multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) cause inflammatory changes in mice that closely resemble those caused by asbestos. This is the second study in a few months to make this finding. (I posted on the first, Takagi et al., a few weeks ago.) So is the case closed on multi-walled carbon nanotubes? Or is too early to draw conclusions? Read more »
February 21, 2008 |
Posted by John Balbus in
Health, Inhalation, Research
John Balbus, M.D., M.P.H., is Chief Health Scientist.
It’s been a worry for engineered nanoparticles. Now, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health (Suglia et al., 2008) is the first to suggest that particulate air pollution not only damages the lungs and heart, but also may damage the developing brain.
Researchers measured cognitive function in over 200 children in Boston in relation to their residential exposure to traffic-related air pollution by measuring airborne carbon black particles. They found the IQ-lowering effect of higher exposure is comparable to a pregnant mother smoking 10 cigarettes a day or moderate lead exposure. Read more »
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