Toxicity of carbon nanotubes associated with respiratory system problems: a literature review

Abstract

Carbon nanotube is a type of nanomaterial that has gained prominence in nanotechnology due to its high electrical properties, high thermal conductivity, strength and stiffness and their wide applications in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry and engineering. This type of nanomaterial is formed by carbon atoms and can be classified as single-walled nanotube or multi-walled nanotube, differentiating their applications. One of the major challenges presented by this type of nanomaterial is its relationship to the toxicity of exposed biological systems. Thus, the objective of this work is to perform a review regarding the studies performed on the toxicity of carbon nanotubes in the pulmonary system from 2010 to 2017. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between respiratory problems such as inflammatory airway process, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer and carbon nanotube toxicity. Even so, it is still suggested that more specific studies are needed to really prove this relationship between carbon nanotube toxicity and respiratory problems, considering that this toxicity is associated with the purity of these carbon nanotubes.