Asbestos may not be the only culprit

A new study published in Nature Nanotechnology Online today suggests that it was not the chemical composition of asbestos but the physical characteristics, and that other chemicals may be just as bad. Carbon nanotubules are similar physically to asbestos and are now being reported a likely to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, just as asbestos does. There have been similar suggestions about the physical effects for the last 20 years. This is one of the reasons that fibreglass insulation installers are required to wear masks as they work. The data from the past also show that asbestos was much more dangerous when used by smokers. We should expect similar results with physically similar compounds.