Toxics Defense

Nanotubes - the new Asbestos?

I'm not going to try and describe what nanotubes are, aside from saying that they are very thin (1/50,000th the width of a human hair) man made [usually] carbon based tubes (fullerene "buckyballs" is another phrase that describes them, if that helps.)  If you'd like to know a whole lot more about them, the Wikipedia article might be a good start. 

Nanotubes are on this blog because researchers have apparently discovered that nanotubes cause mesothelioma in  mice.  I hasten to add that fiberglass causes mesothelioma in mice when injected into the pleural cavity, as was done in this test, and fiberglass certainly doesn't seem to cause mesothelioma in humans.   

Nanotubes have potential uses ranging from aerospace applications to clothing, again according to Wikipedia , and a web site devoted to web sites devoted to nanotubes.   The problem is, of course, that mesothelioma doesn't develop in humans for 20 years (or more) after exposure to asbestos.  Will development of this technology be delayed while we wait and see, or will people just take sensible precautions?

Pollution as an Alternate Cause

Air pollution, specifically particulates, was found in a report released today to increase pulmonary disease.  A study of women over the age of 50 found that each time the particulate pollution rose by 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air, a woman's risk of dying from heart disease rose by 76 percent.  In the defense of cases involving particulates, knowing the pollution levels of the areas in which the claimant lived might prove a valuable tool, especially as research into these areas progresses.