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.