Nanoparticles Cause Brain Injury in Fish
September 21st, 2011Via: Science Daily:
Scientists at the University of Plymouth have shown, for the first time in an animal, that nanoparticles have a detrimental effect on the brain and other parts of the central nervous system.
They subjected rainbow trout to titanium oxide nanoparticles which are widely used as a whitening agent in many products including paints, some personal care products, and with applications being considered for the food industry. They found that the particles caused vacuoles (holes) to form in parts of the brain and for nerve cells in the brain to die. Although some effects of nanoparticles have been shown previously in cell cultures and other in vitro systems this is the first time it has been confirmed in a live vertebrate.
The results will be presented at the “6th International meeting on the Environmental Effects on Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials” (21st — 23rd September) at the Royal Society in London.
Throughout human history, people continue to make tragic mistakes. Oh, I miss radium clock hands, Red Dye #3, stone ground wheat, and the days when you could get a steak cooked under 145°F (63°C for the rest of the world). Oh, and lets not forget the wonder years of lead based paints and asbestos insulation.
The questions will be….
Have there been effects shown on humans? That’s not to say dumping of titanium oxide into the waste water supply wouldn’t have other concerns (think about this as you brush your teeth tonight).
If the cause and effect can be shown, and not simply correlation proving causation, there should be a mountain of evidence supporting the theory. How long as this been known? Most importantly, the theory is proven, how long will it take us to switch to alternative solutions?
In the case of asbestos, it was known to cause health problems in modern times in the very early 1900’s, yet wasn’t outlawed until the late 1900 through early 2000’s.
But hey, it’s only people’s lives we’re talking about here. The industries making money with a product or particular item, will fight to prove there is no threat for as long a sit remains profitable.
normally the whitening agent is titanium DIoxide, from what i understand, and not all applications/sources are micronized. the question is, which are, and how to tell the difference?
This study was actually using titanium DIoxide rather than titanium oxide as they claim:
http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=32415
Why and how would Science Daily make such a mistake?
neologiste, micronized TiO2 is used in many personal care products, including ‘alternative’ sunscreens. Some of them actually admit this on their websites, some you have to ask.
Correction: One alternative company that formerly used nano zinc oxide, no longer does so:
http://www.badgerbalm.com/t-about_natural_organic_sunscreen.aspx#nano
@ JW Smythe
Asbestos is still widely used in the so called “3rd world”. It was used extensively in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.
@RBNZ
Ya, I was referring to the US and Europe mostly. I found plenty of references about it still being used world wide.
It’s even here in the states, but products with asbestos contain warnings. For example, *aftermarket* brake pads in the US may still contain asbestos. The EPA ban was overturned by the courts, but other restrictions are still in place.
I do virtually all of my own automotive work. Quite literally, I fix anything. My only limitations are when I don’t have the tools, time, or ability. The later is pretty rare. 🙂
Just about anyone with a car more than just a few years old, has aftermarket brake pads on their car. Most people don’t opt for ceramic pads, as they’re more expensive. I use good pads on my vehicles when they’re available. For example, my car is a sports car with almost 400hp (and 26mpg on the highway, oddly enough), and when I race it (on tracks only), I drive it in it’s normal street configuration. My SUV is used primarily as a way to move heavy things that don’t fit in a sports car. When I got it, it needed brakes desperately. I checked the local stores, and only one had the rear brake shoes. They only had one option. Who knows what the old pads were. Who knows what is on friends cars, when they come to me in desperate need of brakes. Sometimes they can’t afford the better pads, so they get what they can.
Every shop manual warns of the risk of cancer from prolonged exposure to oil and gas. When I learned to work on cars, we just worked on them with our bare hands. Now there is a trend to wear gloves. It does keep your hands cleaner too. But just with my hobby work on cars, I go through a lot of gloves. Every time I stop working, the gloves go in the trash. When I start again, I start with clean ones. On older cars, they only stay clean for a very few minutes at best.
And of course, all the fluids in a vehicle are toxic. Don’t breathe the fumes, don’t contact them, etc, etc. I haven’t known a mechanic who manages to *not* get exposed to them. I have yet to see a mechanic with a full respirator working on a car. It’s too hot, and it gets in the way.
So, we’re always exposed to bad things. Even when you pump gas, the vapors are toxic. We’ve all smelled the fumes while we’re pumping. Have you ever worn a respirator and gloves to fuel up your vehicle?