Table 4 Comparison between physical and chemical parameters of asbestos and CNTs
From: Mesothelioma: Do asbestos and carbon nanotubes pose the same health risk?
Parameter | Comparison |
|---|---|
Shape | Both are elongated particles; fibre shaped. |
Dimensions | Asbestos fibre diameter: range of 100 nm. Chrysotile fibrils: ≅ 50 nm of diameter. Same order as MWCNTs. |
Structure | Chrysotile: multi-layered rolled sheets of brucite (MgOH2) and silicon oxide (SiO2). Important aggregation with CNTs, which may form more entangled bundles, ropes, than asbestos. |
Chemistry | Different chemistry. Possibility of metal impurities in both asbestos and CNTs. |
Surface reactivity | Both show sorptive properties to biological molecules. ROS production: no definitive answer for CNTs. |