Hazard assessment of abraded thermoplastic composites reinforced with reduced graphene oxide
Chortarea, Savvina (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)
Kuru, Ogul Can (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)
Netkueakul, Woranan (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)
Pelin, Marco (Università degli Studi di Trieste. Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita)
Keshavan, Sandeep (Karolinska Institutet (Estocolm, Suècia). Nanosafety & Nanomedicine Laboratory)
Song, Zhengmei (Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire)
Ma, Baojin (Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire)
Gómes, Julio (Avanzare Innovacion Tecnologica S.L)
Villaro Abalos, Elvira (InterQuímica)
Visani de Luna, Luis Augusto (University of Manchester. Nanomedicine Lab)
Loret, Thomas (University of Manchester. Nanomedicine Lab)
Fordham, Alexander (University of Manchester. Nanomedicine Lab)
Drummond, Matthew (University of Manchester. National Graphene Institute)
Kontis, Nikolaos (Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas)
Anagnostopoulos, George (Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas)
Paterakis, George (Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas)
Cataldi, Pietro (University of Manchester. Department of Materials)
Tubaro, Aurelia (Università degli Studi di Trieste. Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita)
Galiotis, Costas (University of Patras. Department of Chemical Engineering)
Kinloch, Ian (University of Manchester. Department of Materials)
Fadeel, Bengt (Karolinska Institutet (Estocolm, Suècia). Nanosafety & Nanomedicine Laboratory)
Bussy, Cyrill (University of Manchester. Nanomedicine Lab)
Kostarelos, Kostas (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Buerki-Thurnherr, Tina (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)
Prato, Maurizio (IKERBASQUE)
Bianco, Alberto (Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire)
Wick, Peter (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	Graphene-related materials (GRMs) are subject to intensive investigations and considerable progress has been made in recent years in terms of safety assessment. However, limited information is available concerning the hazard potential of GRM-containing products such as graphene-reinforced composites. In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the potential biological effects of particles released through an abrasion process from reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-reinforced composites of polyamide 6 (PA6), a widely used engineered thermoplastic polymer, in comparison to as-produced rGO. First, a panel of well-established in vitro models, representative of the immune system and possible target organs such as the lungs, the gut, and the skin, was applied. Limited responses to PA6-rGO exposure were found in the different in vitro models. Only as-produced rGO induced substantial adverse effects, in particular in macrophages. Since inhalation of airborne materials is a key occupational concern, we then sought to test whether the in vitro responses noted for these materials would translate into adverse effects in vivo. To this end, the response at 1, 7 and 28 days after a single pulmonary exposure was evaluated in mice. In agreement with the in vitro data, PA6-rGO induced a modest and transient pulmonary inflammation, resolved by day 28. In contrast, rGO induced a longer-lasting, albeit moderate inflammation that did not lead to tissue remodeling within 28 days. Taken together, the present study suggests a negligible impact on human health under acute exposure conditions of GRM fillers such as rGO when released from composites at doses expected at the workplace.
Grants:	European Commission 881603 European Commission 785219 Agencia Estatal de Investigación MDM-2017-0720
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Graphene-related materials ; Thermoplastic polymer composites ; Hazard assessment
Published in:	Journal of hazardous materials, Vol. 435 (Aug. 2022) , art. 129053, ISSN 1873-3336

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129053

25 p, 12.3 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles