Buckyballs could restrict growth of soil bacteria (nanotechweb.org)
- Researchers at Rice University and Georgia Institute of Technology in the US have found that the nano-C60 aggregates that may form when C60 molecules are exposed to water can have a detrimental effect on soil bacteria. Under certain conditions, the aggregates restricted the bacteria’s growth and respiration rates.
“We have found that these C60 aggregates are pretty good antibacterial materials,” said Joseph Hughes of Georgia Tech. “It may be possible to harness that for tremendously good applications, but it could also have impacts on ecosystem health.”
... Current guidelines in the US for the handling and disposal of buckyballs are based on the properties of bulk carbon black. But Hughes says that buckyballs have different properties from this bulk material and should be treated differently.
“As information becomes available, we have to be ready to modify these regulations and best practices for safety,” said Hughes. “If we’re doing complementary studies that help to support this line of new materials and integrate those into human safety regulations, then the industry is going to be better off and the environment is going to be better off.” More here
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1 comment:
To THONG,
This is exactly the kind of work I refer to when saying that we are testing these nanomaterials. Now that we know that C60 can form these kinds of colloids in fresh water, we can take the necessary step of making sure that there are no more fresh water supplies to cause this to happen.
Just kidding. ;)
Mr. Smith
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