AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Quantification of Released Carbon Nanotubes from an Epoxy-based Nanocomposite during Abrasion and Particle Toxicity
Lukas Schlagenhauf, Tina Buerki-Thurnherr, Yu-Ying Kuo, Adrian Wichser, Peter Wick, Frank Nüesch, JING WANG, ETH Zurich/Empa
Abstract Number: 396 Working Group: Health Related Aerosols
Abstract A new measurement method was established to quantify the amount of free standing and protruding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the respirable fraction of particles abraded from a MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposite. The quantification approach involves the pre-labeling of MWCNTs with lead ions, nanocomposite generation, abrasion and collection of the inhalable particle fraction and quantification of free standing and protruding MWCNTs by measuring the concentration of released lead ions. In vitro toxicity studies for genotoxicity, reactive oxygen species formation and cell viability were performed using A549 human alveolar epithelial cells and THP-1 human monocytic leukemia cells.
The quantification experiment revealed that in the respirable fraction of the abraded particles, approximately 4000 ppm of the MWCNTs were released as exposed MWCNTs which could contact lung cells upon inhalation, and approximately 40 ppm were released as free standing MWCNTs in the worst case scenario. The toxicity tests revealed that the abraded particles did not induce any acute cytotoxic effects.