When people hear the term mesothelioma, asbestos usually comes to mind. This is because it is very commonly known that asbestos is a leading cause of this malicious disease. Regulations in recent years have put a halt to asbestos use, and many efforts have been made to remove asbestos
from as many homes and other buildings as possible. While this is certainly an encouraging thing, it is worrisome to discover that a whole other threat sits on the horizon when it comes to mesothelioma and general health: nanotubes.
Hailed as revolutionary components which contribute to the development of many exciting forms of nanotechnology, nanotubes - or carbon nanotubes - are already being used in many forms and applications. One of the most popular ways that carbon nanotubes are used is in electrical circuitry. The unique properties of nanotubes can made electricity work much more efficiently, at a much smaller scale.
Carbon nanotubes are also commonly used in medical applications. When a drug needs to be administered to a very specific location in the human body, carbon nanotubes are excellent options due to their incredibly small size. Nanotube fibers are also routinely used in various polymers in order to make their properties more effective and efficient. Obviously, then, carbon nanotubes are thought to be quite an exciting technology and many people feel that only the tip of the proverbial iceberg has been seen in regards to this kind of technology.
Unfortunately, though, there may be a very dark and real downside to carbon nanotubes. It has been discovered that the composition and basic makeup of these components is strikingly similar to that of asbestos. Asbestos is so inherently harmful and damaging due to its makeup; it is not a certain chemical in asbestos that causes mesothelioma and other diseases, but the shape of its fibers. Carbon nanotubes take on much the same shape and therefore it is worried that they may cause mesothelioma, as well.
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