Speaker
Dr
Peter Wick
(EMPA, Swiss Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Switzerland)
Description
Nanoparticulate materials and among them, carbon nanotubes
(CNTs) are a new type of materials that generate high
expectations due to their unique physical, chemical and
optical properties. Due to the predictably increasing
production of various types of carbon nanotubes and other
nanoparticle-containing products, it can be expected that
environmental and public exposure to engineered
nanoparticles will also increase in parallel. If and in how
far CNTs are able to affect human health is currently quite
controversially discussed. Here we summarize how CNTs are
produced and processed in order to identify critical
parameters, which have to be included in the toxicological
assessment. A special effort was made to balance the adverse
and benefit effects of CNTs on cell physiology. Among
toxicological effects, we report about CNTs in medical
applications and we discuss two selected examples of
prospective applications of CNTs in nano-medicine, which
have realistic chances to achieve ready-to-market products
in a few years.
Primary author
Dr
Peter Wick
(EMPA, Swiss Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Switzerland)
