Can carbon nanotubes be harmful?

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been used safely in a wide range of everyday products (e.g. sporting goods, automotive parts, and electronics) for many years, often as fillers in composite materials. Once CNTs are mixed into a polymer, bonded in a solid structure or coated, such as the case with Carbice pads, they are no longer free particles and cannot return to their loose, airborne form. That’s why Carbice pads are safe to use and handle, and why they are trusted in sensitive environments like satellites and advanced electronics. By contrast, uncoated, non-agglomerated CNTs may become airborne, in which case they can cause both electrical and respiratory risks like with many other known nanoparticles.