New review on safety of graphene & related materials published

Home > New review on safety of graphene & related materials published
12. February 2019

End of January 2019, members of the Graphene flagship published a review on safety assessment of graphene-based materials in the journal ACS Nano. The publication gives a comprehensive overview of all aspects of graphene health and environmental impact, focussing on the potential interactions of graphene-based materials with key target organs including immune system, skin, lungs, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, central nervous system, reproductive system, as well as a wide range of other organisms including bacteria, algae, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates in various ecosystems.

 

“One of the key messages is that this family of materials has varying properties, thus displaying varying biological effects. It is important to emphasize the need not only for a systematic analysis of well-characterized graphene-based materials, but also the importance of using standardised in vitro or in vivo assays for the safety assessment,” says Bengt Fadeel, lead author of this paper working at Graphene Flagship partner Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

“This review correlates the physicochemical characteristics of graphene and related materials to the biological effects. A classification based on lateral dimensions, number of layers and carbon-to-oxygen ratio allows us to describe the parameters that can alter graphene’s toxicology. This can orient future development and use of these materials,” explains Alberto Bianco, from Graphene Flagship partner CNRS, France and deputy leader of the Graphene Flagship Work Package on Health and Environment…

 

 

Original Publication

Fadeel, B., Bussy, C., Merino, S., Vázquez, E., Flahaut, E., Mouchet, F., Evariste, L., Gauthier, L., Koivisto, A. J., Vogel, U., Martín, C., Delogu, L. G., Buerki-Thurnherr, T., Wick, P., Beloin-Saint-Pierre, D., Hischier, R., Pelin, M., Candotto Carniel, F., Tretiach, M., Cesca, F., Benfenati, F., Scaini, D., Ballerini, L., Kostarelos, K., Prato, M. & Bianco, A. (2018). Safety Assessment of Graphene-Based Materials: Focus on Human Health and the Environment. ACS Nano, 12 (11), 10582-10620. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b04758

 

 

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