![]() ‘This provides a clear correlation between a change at the surface and a toxic effect.’ ‘For a long time, particularly in the area of nanomaterials, there’s been a long tradition, 10 years or more, of research to try and find a correlation between some physical–chemical property and the biological response,’ Lynch says. Nanoscience expert Iseult Lynch, who was not involved in the study, praised the discovery of a clear link between a chemical moiety and the damage it causes a cell. These nearly-free silanols bind to cell membranes, initiating inflammatory responses and damaging the rats’ lungs. Consequently, this group is freer to interact with biomolecules and cell membranes than more tightly packed silanols. They are spaced further apart from each other, and less able to interact with one another. Nearly-free silanols are similar to ordinary silanols, but they are arranged differently at the surface of silica. ![]() They discovered that a family of silanols, known as nearly-free silanols, interact with cell membranes and induced inflammatory reactions in the lungs. The researchers then administered the resulting dust to rats nasally to understand what damaged cells in the lungs. Working with both amorphous and crystalline silica, the team simulated industrial processes such as grinding and thermal treatment. ‘We focused in particular on the arrangement of these surface functionalities and tried to understand how they interact with each other, to understand … how they interact with external biomolecules or membrane components,’ says Pavan. This separation means these nearly free silanols can interact with cells more easily, damaging themĪuthor Cristina Pavan at the University of Torino, Italy, says that researchers have long wondered whether silanols, at the surface of silica, could explain the material’s toxicity. Nearly-free silanols found in fractured silica particles can be twice as far apart as silanols found in undamaged silica. It’s a very current issue,’ says Dominique Lison, a professor of toxicology at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, and author of the study. Silicosis is not an ancient disease of the past. ‘There have been outbreaks of lung disease caused by new applications of silica. This powder is hazardous to the health of workers worldwide, and can cause diseases such as lung cancer and silicosis. Quarry work, mining and sandblasting this material can produce an airborne silica powder. This natural compound exists in either a crystalline or amorphous form, with quartz being the most abundant source of crystalline silica in the world. Understanding what makes silica toxic could allow researchers to explore new avenues to build safer materials.Īlmost 60% of the Earth’s crust is made of silica. Nearly-free silanols – a functional group (R 3Si–OH) found in fractured silica particles – are responsible for silica dust’s toxicity. Source: © 2020 National Academy of Sciencesįracturing quartz crystals can lead to the formation of nearly-free silanols that can damage cells in the lungs
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