The degree and kind of agglomeration affect carbon nanotube cytotoxicity.
The urgent need for toxicological studies on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has arisen from the rapidly emerging applications of CNTs well beyond material science and engineering. In order to provide a basis for comparison to existing epidemiological data, we have investigated CNTs at various degrees of agglomeration using an in vitro cytotoxicity study with human MSTO-211H cells. Non-cytotoxic polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate was found to well-disperse CNT. In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of well-dispersed CNT were compared with that of conventionally purified rope-like agglomerated CNTs and asbestos as a reference. While suspended CNT-bundles were less cytotoxic than asbestos, rope-like agglomerates induced more pronounced cytotoxic effects than asbestos fibres at the same concentrations. The study underlines the need for thorough materials characterization prior to toxicological studies and corroborates the role of agglomeration in the cytotoxic effect of nanomaterials.
Wick
Peter
P
Empa, Materials Science and Technology, Materials-Biology Interactions Lab, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland. Peter.wick@empa.ch
Manser
Pius
P
Limbach
Ludwig K
LK
Dettlaff-Weglikowska
Ursula
U
Krumeich
Frank
F
Roth
Siegmar
S
Stark
Wendelin J
WJ
Bruinink
Arie
A
D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite / Q000633:toxicity; D002244:Carbon; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006601:Hexoses / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000633:toxicity; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles
D006601:Hexoses; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C018665:sorbitan monooleate; D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D002244:Carbon; D004247:DNA; C022616:thiazolyl blue