Development of lung tissue models and their applications.

The lungs are important organs that play a critical role in the development of specific diseases, as well as responding to the effects of drugs, chemicals, and environmental pollutants. Due to the ethical concerns around animal testing, alternative methods have been sought which are more time-effective, do not pose ethical issues for animals, do not involve species differences, and provide easy investigation of the pathobiology of lung diseases. Several national and international organizations are working to accelerate the development and implementation of structurally and functionally complex tissue models as alternatives to animal testing, particularly for the lung.

Airborne emissions from combustion of graphene nanoplatelet/epoxy composites and their cytotoxicity on lung cells via air-liquid interface cell exposure in vitro.

Graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) as a nanofiller improves the mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and flame retardancy of the polymers significantly. With an increasing number of GNP-reinforced products, a careful safety assessment is needed to avoid social and economic setbacks. However, no study has addressed the effects of combustion-generated emissions from GNP-reinforced products in the lung, the most sensitive exposure route to airborne particles.

Hazard assessment of abraded thermoplastic composites reinforced with reduced graphene oxide.

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.

Effects of Combining Graphene Nanoplatelet and Phosphorous Flame Retardant as Additives on Mechanical Properties and Flame Retardancy of Epoxy Nanocomposite.

The effects of combining 0.1-5 wt % graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) and 3-30 wt % phosphorous flame retardant, 9,10- dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) as fillers in epoxy polymer on the mechanical, flame retardancy, and electrical properties of the epoxy nanocomposites was investigated. GNP was homogeneously dispersed into the epoxy matrix using a solvent-free three-roll milling process, while DOPO was incorporated into the epoxy resin by mechanical stirring at elevated temperature.

Release of graphene-related materials from epoxy-based composites: characterization, quantification and hazard assessment in vitro.

Due to their mechanical strength, thermal stability and electrical conductivity, graphene-related materials (GRMs) have been extensively explored for various applications. Moreover, GRMs have been studied and applied as fillers in polymer composite manufacturing to enhance the polymer performance. With the foreseen growth in GRM production, occupational and consumer exposure is inevitable, thus raising concerns for potential health risks.