Author: Alex Strauss

Scientists have long suspected that inhaling multi-walled carbon nanotubes could cause malignant mesothelioma, but a new Japanese study appears to prove that it does – at least in rats. Asbestos, a naturally-occurring mineral once widely used as an insulator and building product additive, remains the number one cause of both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma worldwide. But researchers have theorized that the same things that make asbestos fibers so carcinogenic – their size, shape, and chemical makeup – might make other similarly-shaped molecules like carbon nanotubes dangerous, too. Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are man-made cylindrical molecules of carbon arranged in a concentric pattern. Because of their extraordinary strength and thermal conductivity, MWCNTs are used in electronics and optics, as…