碳纳米管材料具有重量轻、强度高等优点，被广泛应用于自行车和球拍等产品生产中。是英国研究人员提醒说，生产碳纳米管和利用该材料制造其他产品的工人，需防范因吸入碳纳米管而致癌的风险。
英国爱丁堡大学的研究人员在新一期《美国病理学期刊》上报告说，碳纳米管的粗细只有头发丝直径的千分之一，动物实验显示，如果它进入实验鼠的肺部，可能引起间皮瘤等癌症。此前该校研究人员曾报告说，碳纳米管可在实验鼠的腹腔中引发癌症。这些研究均显示，必须警惕碳纳米管给生产者带来的健康风险。
研究人员说，碳纳米管引发癌症的机理与石棉纤维类似。石棉已被确认为致癌物质，其细小纤维被吸入后会诱发胸膜间皮瘤。
不过研究人员发现，容易引发癌症的是那些较长的碳纳米管，这可能是因为它们更容易卡在肺部或腹部细胞间的空腔中。实验显示，长度较短的碳纳米管引发癌症的风险相对较小。这也许意味着可以在碳纳米管生产中找到一个平衡点，设计出既能满足生产需求，致癌风险又低的碳纳米管。
领导这一研究的肯·唐纳森教授说，上述研究结果提醒生产商，在赚取利润的同时，要设法防范生产线上的工人因接触碳纳米管而患癌。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
The American Journal of Pathology DOI：10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.02.040
Length-Dependent Retention of Carbon Nanotubes in the Pleural Space of Mice Initiates Sustained Inflammation and Progressive Fibrosis on the Parietal Pleura
Fiona A. Murphy,Craig A. Poland,Rodger Duffin,Khuloud T. Al-Jamal,Hanene Ali-Boucetta,Antonio Nunes,Fiona Byrne,Adriele Prina-Mello
Abstract Full Text PDFImages References The fibrous shape of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) raises concern that they may pose an asbestos-like inhalation hazard, leading to the development of diseases, especially mesothelioma. Direct instillation of long and short CNTs into the pleural cavity, the site of mesothelioma development, produced asbestos-like length-dependent responses. The response to long CNTs and long asbestos was characterized by acute inflammation, leading to progressive fibrosis on the parietal pleura, where stomata of strictly defined size limit the egress of long, but not short, fibers. This was confirmed by demonstrating clearance of short, but not long, CNT and nickel nanowires and by visualizing the migration of short CNTs from the pleural space by single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging. Our data confirm the hypothesis that, although a proportion of all deposited particles passes through the pleura, the pathogenicity of long CNTs and other fibers arises as a result of length-dependent retention at the stomata on the parietal pleura.
