A study published this month in Nature Nanotechnology found that at least one nanomaterial, carbon nanotubes, appears to mimic the behavior of cancer-causing asbestos in the lung.
 
The report states that carbon nanotubes may be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies initiative, an organization purported to help business, government and the public anticipate and manage any health and environmental issues in the use of nanotechnology.
 
According to reports, the study used established methods to see if specific types of nanotubes have the potential to cause mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer that can take as long as 40 years to appear following exposure. Long associated with asbestos inhalation, the study results indicate that carbon nanotubes behave like asbestos fibers inside the body.
 
The potential for nanomaterials to enter the body is among the factors that scientists examined to determine if such materials posed an occupational health hazard. Nanomaterials have the greatest potential to enter the body if they are in the form of nanoparticles, or particles from nanomaterials that become airborne or come into contact with the skin.
 
In other human and animal studies, reports state that nanoparticles can be inhaled and deposit in the respiratory tract, and animal studies have shown that airborne nanomaterials can enter the blood stream and move to other organs.
   
The published report goes on to state that ultrafine nanoparticles should be studied further to determine if they pose health risks in the workplace, and that some scientists have already expressed a concern that appropriate precautionary measures should be taken.