NIST Photo
A scanning electron microscope image of NIST’s material.
(NHI Nanoblog) In an important development for the urgent task of understanding the behavior and implications of super-small materials, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently released the first certified “reference material” for carbon nanotube soot.
A reference material is less esoteric than it sounds: Basically, it’s a uniform substance that gives manufacturers and scientists a comparison point. Developing these reference points for ultra-tiny nanomaterials is an important part of establishing large-scale commercial ventures, as well as testing them for potential health and environmental hazards.
NIST, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, calls carbon nanotube soot, from which the ultra-light tubes are harvested, “perhaps the archetype of all nanoscale materials.” The super-small cylinders of carbon are prized for their strength and ability to both insulate and conduct electricity.
CNTs are also the arguably the biggest short-term nano concern for toxicologists and occupational-safety experts. For example, last year, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health issued draft recommendations that workers take precautions to effectively avoid any inhalation exposure to the material.
That’s because the tiny cylinders are small enough to be inhaled, and research shows they can lodge in the lungs of rats and cause inflammation, which often draws comparisons to asbestos.
By leveraging the often-amazing properties of ultra-tiny materials, nanotechnology can make airplane wings stronger and help cancer treatments ruthlessly target the bad cells. As nano-enabled products proliferate, however, there’s a big gap between what’s possible and what’s been tested for safety. Growing evidence suggests that shrinking these materials can sometimes change the way they interact with the world around them, raising serious questions about their impact on health and the environment.
That’s why the NIST development is important. With so many nanomaterials circulating — titanium dioxide and silver are in wide use in their super-small form — toxicologists are scrambling to get a handle on what’s safe and what might be problematic for people, animals and the environment. But a key to successful experiments is the ability to replicate conditions over and over, which can be difficult without a consistent source of the test material.
NIST’s efforts could help accelerate the effort to better understanding of these substances, in turn making it easier for consumers, manufacturers and regulators to make critical decisions about what to use, and how to use it.