5 ms·

Has the problem with organic contamination been resolved one way or another? I remember reading that it can be hazardous to fish?

duaneb 11y ago
Carbon nanotubes exist in many forms, including animal cells. I don't think such a technology is straightforwardly hazardous or not. Personally, I would prefer carbon nanotubes to toxic, rare metals.
- nate_meurer 11y ago
  Yes, and one nice thing about carbon nanotubes is there are many good options for waste stream destruction and disposal. Unlike things like lead and asbestos, which are immortal wastes.
- sown 11y ago
  I have to disagree. Just having nanotubes flying around your blood stream could probably lead to cirrhosis as the nanotubes of a certain length or more would get trapped inside the liver, causing scaring and damage ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19801780 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19801780) similar to how miners can get miner's lung (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumoconiosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumoconiosis). Ultimately it depends on what form the nanotubes are in, but I don't want them just going nilly-willy around an environment.
  - duaneb 11y ago
    > I don't want them just going nilly-willy around an environment. To be fair, you can say this about pretty much anything. But unlike microbeads, which are intended to be flushed, nobody is suggesting that it would be a good idea to release them into the environment.
    - sown 11y ago
      > To be fair, you can say this about pretty much anything. But unlike microbeads, which are intended to be flushed, nobody is suggesting that it would be a good idea to release them into the environment. Very true. I'm surrounded by stainless steel but I don't get chromium poisoning. I'm just worried about side effects, about extra CWNT getting out into the open, like how prescription drugs are appearing in the environment.

duaneb 11y ago

Carbon nanotubes exist in many forms, including animal cells. I don't think such a technology is straightforwardly hazardous or not. Personally, I would prefer carbon nanotubes to toxic, rare metals.

nate_meurer 11y ago
Yes, and one nice thing about carbon nanotubes is there are many good options for waste stream destruction and disposal. Unlike things like lead and asbestos, which are immortal wastes.
sown 11y ago
I have to disagree. Just having nanotubes flying around your blood stream could probably lead to cirrhosis as the nanotubes of a certain length or more would get trapped inside the liver, causing scaring and damage ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19801780 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19801780) similar to how miners can get miner's lung (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumoconiosis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumoconiosis). Ultimately it depends on what form the nanotubes are in, but I don't want them just going nilly-willy around an environment.
- duaneb 11y ago
  > I don't want them just going nilly-willy around an environment. To be fair, you can say this about pretty much anything. But unlike microbeads, which are intended to be flushed, nobody is suggesting that it would be a good idea to release them into the environment.
  - sown 11y ago
    > To be fair, you can say this about pretty much anything. But unlike microbeads, which are intended to be flushed, nobody is suggesting that it would be a good idea to release them into the environment. Very true. I'm surrounded by stainless steel but I don't get chromium poisoning. I'm just worried about side effects, about extra CWNT getting out into the open, like how prescription drugs are appearing in the environment.