The Last Chance Of Freedom : Face Masks Laced with Graphene Pose a Health Risk

Friday, June 24, 2022

Face Masks Laced with Graphene Pose a Health Risk

Some face mask manufacturers added graphene coatings to their face masks to "inactivate the virus"
There is a theoretical risk that breathing through a graphene-coated mask will liberate graphene particles that make it through the other filter layers on the mask and penetrate the lung.
In September 2020, based on a brief review of the scientific literature and published guidance and reports relating to face coverings, the Environmental Modelling Group (EMG) and New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) prepared a report for the UK government.
Manufacturers respond to graphene masks health hazard warnings
Several companies involved in the production of such masks released comments
Zen Graphene Solutions, which developed a graphene-based virucidal ink and reported that it has a 99% effectiveness against COVID-19, released a statement saying that it is aware of the recent claims, and is aligned and supportive of the steps taken to regulate the use of graphene and remove products that are unsafe for the public.
NanoXplore, also a Canadian company, provided an update on the regulatory approval of its product, stating that on September 4, 2020, it received approval under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to manufacture and sell its product in Canada.
How does graphene damage viruses, bacteria and human cells?
There are three ways that it can help prevent the spread of microbes
Microscopic graphene particles have sharp edges that mechanically damage viruses and cells as they pass by them
Graphene is negatively charged with highly mobile electrons that electrostatically trap and inactivate some viruses/cells
Causes cells to generate oxygen free radicals that can damage them and impairs their cellular metabolism
In August 2020, scientists from the City University of Hong Kong developed a graphene mask that deactivated two coronaviruses and killed bacteria more effectively
Why graphene may be linked to lung injury
Researchers have been studying the potential negative impacts of inhaling microscopic graphene on mammals
To mimic human lungs, scientists developed biological models designed to simulate the impact of high concentration aerosolized graphene on industrial workers
One such study published in March 2020 found that a lifetime of industrial exposure to graphene induced inflammation and weakened the simulated lungs' protective barrier
These models are not perfect options for studying the dramatically lower levels of graphene inhaled from a face mask, but researchers have used them in the past to learn more about these sorts of exposures
Conclusion
When in doubt, the precautionary principle should be applied
It was introduced to create a basis for thoughtful and considered evaluation of policy, technology, scientific discovery, and innovative ways of providing foresight
Since the Rio Declaration, however, it has been steadily downgraded
The decline of this principle is a synecdoche for the challenges facing'sustainability science' because the legitimate and legislative foundations are being dismantled and removed
Regardless of what government tells you, do you still trust the science?