Computer particles may cause damage to lungs

A REVOLUTIONARY material used in computer technology could pose health risks to those involved in its manufacture, scientists have warned.

Experts at Edinburgh University say nano discs or platelets – ultra-thin layers of carbon called “graphene”, heralded for its super-conductive properties – could be harmful to the lungs when produced in a particular form.

The flexibility of these disc-shaped particles means they can be readily incorporated into plastic and rubber, giving them new and useful properties. They can also be used to produce futuristic “bendy” computer screens that can be folded up and stored away without damage.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But scientists studying their behaviour found that the nanoplatelets, which are less than one carbon atom thick and invisible to the naked eye, behave like tiny frisbees, and stay airborne.

They warned that the nanoplatelets’ aerodynamic properties also mean that when inhaled, they can find their way deeper into the lungs compared with other forms of graphene. And the particles could accumulate in the lungs and cause damage.

Related topics: