Nanotubes,
considered to be one of the wonder materials of the new age of
nanotechnology, may carry a health risk similar to that of asbestos.
Asbestos was another “wonder material” that turned out to be a scourge
when its fibers were found to cause lung disease.
Nanotubes are tiny, superstrong carbon fibers. They are already found in some products, like tennis rackets.
A team of researchers reported that injecting nanotubes into the
abdomens of mice induced lesions similar to those that appear on the
outer lining of the lungs after the inhalation of asbestos.