Sometimes, there are things in life that we do not understand – too well at the moment, at least. Take for instance, a recent study by lead author Fathi Moussa at the University of Paris-Saclay, France, where it was determined that vehicles on the road could very well be producing carbon nanotubes – something which scientists are looking for ways to manufacture them in an improved manner, although the carbon nanotubes discovered here might be detrimental in the long run. How so? These carbon nanotubes have been discovered to be in the lungs of children over in Paris.
In other words, this marks the very first time where such small tubes have been observed in a human being. In a study of the fluid which was found in the airways of 64 asthmatic children, the University of Paris-Saclay team discovered the presence of carbon nanotubes in all of the samples, and not a single one was spared. Out of those, five cases saw the nanotubes reside within the immune cells of lungs, which are known as macrophages, where the macrophages function to clear unwanted particles from the airways.
Carbon nanotubes happen to be cylindrical carbon molecules that are lightweight, are good conductors, and have high strength. We still do not know if the carbon nanotubes have an effect in the respiratory tracts of humans, as that will require time to study.
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