Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials

Bengt Fadeel; James Baker; Laura Ballerini; Cyrill Bussy; Fabio Candotto Carniel; Mauro Tretiach; Marco Pelin; Tina Buerki‐Thurnherr; Tomi Kanerva; José Maria Navas; Ester Vázquez; Virginia Rodriguez Unamuno; Panja Lehtonen; Mar González; Hubert Rauscher; Juan Riego Sintes; Kostas Kostarelos; Alberto Bianco; Maurizio Prato

doi:10.1002/smll.202404570

Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials

Bengt Fadeel
, James Baker
, Laura Ballerini
, Cyrill Bussy
, Fabio Candotto Carniel
, Mauro Tretiach
, Marco Pelin
, Tina Buerki‐Thurnherr
, Tomi Kanerva
, José Maria Navas
, Ester Vázquez
, Virginia Rodriguez Unamuno
, Panja Lehtonen
, Mar González
, Hubert Rauscher
, Juan Riego Sintes
, Kostas Kostarelos
, Alberto Bianco
, Maurizio Prato

Karolinska Institutet
TEMAS Solutions GmbH
International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)
Universita Degli Studi di Trieste
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)
Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha
European Chemicals Agency
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Universite De Strasbourg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

364 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity – from materials science to biology. Here, the outcomes of the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies performed on graphene and its derivatives, and the key lessons learned from this decade-long journey, are highlighted.

Original language	English
Article number	2404570
Journal	Small
Volume	21
Early online date	15 Jan 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404570
Publication status	Published - 15 Jan 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

Keywords

advanced materials
graphene
safety assessment
test guidelines

Research Highlights, Institutes and Platforms

Advanced materials
National Graphene Institute
Thomas Ashton Institute

Access to Document

10.1002/smll.202404570Licence: CC BY

Small - 2025 - Fadeel - Safety Assessment of GrapheneBased MaterialsFinal published version, 1.03 MBLicence: CC BY

3 Finished

Graphene Flagship Core 3
Kostarelos, K. (PI), Bussy, C. (CoI), Coope, D. (CoI) & Vranic, S. (CoI)
1/04/20 → 30/09/23
Project: Research
Graphene Flagship Core 2 (Division of Pharmacy and Optometry allocation).
Kostarelos, K. (PI) & Bussy, C. (CoI)
1/04/18 → 31/03/20
Project: Research
Graphene-based disruptive technologies (H2020 Graphene Flagship Core1)
Falko, V. (PI), Baker, J. (CoI), Bussy, C. (CoI), Dryfe, R. (CoI), Geim, A. (CoI), Grigorenko, A. (CoI), Grigorieva, I. (CoI), Kinloch, I. (CoI), Kostarelos, K. (CoI), Novoselov, K. (CoI) & Young, R. (CoI)
1/04/16 → 31/03/18
Project: Research

2 Article
1 Review article
1 Other contribution

Advanced materials case study on graphene related materials (GRM): Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and other Advanced Materials, No. 112
Bussy, C., 6 Feb 2026, 53 p. Paris : OECD Publishing.
Research output: Other contribution

Open Access
Boron Nitride Nanomaterials Trigger Immunomodulatory Effects in Human Broncho‐Epithelial Cells by Modulating Eicosanoid Lipid Signaling
Gupta, G., Bossart, J., D'Almeida, S. M., de Luna, L. A. V., Schwärzler, C., Fu, T., Ayala‐Nunez, V., Gogos, A., Buljan, M., Kissling, V. M., Flahaut, E., Garcia, M., Bussy, C., Wick, P. & Buerki‐Thurnherr, T., 13 Feb 2026, In: Advanced Science. 13, 9, e16401.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
2 Downloads (Pure)
Environmental and Health Impacts of Graphene and other Two-Dimensional Materials: A Graphene Flagship Perspective
Lin, H., Buerki-Thurnherr, T., Wick, P., Pelin, M., Tubaro, A., Candotto Carniel, F., Tretiach, M., Flahaut, E., Iglesias, D., Vázquez, E., Cellot, G., Ballerini, L., Castagnola, V., Benfenati, F., Armirotti, A., Sallustrau, A., Keck, M., Taran, F., Bussy, C. & Vranic, S. & 11 others, Kostarelos, K., Connolly, M., Navas, J. M., Mouchet, F., Gauthier, L., Baker, J., Suarez-Merino, B., Kanerva, T., Prato, M., Fadeel, B. & Bianco, A., 13 Feb 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: ACS Nano.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Open Access

Cite this

Fadeel, B., Baker, J., Ballerini, L., Bussy, C., Candotto Carniel, F., Tretiach, M., Pelin, M., Buerki‐Thurnherr, T., Kanerva, T., Navas, J. M., Vázquez, E., Rodriguez Unamuno, V., Lehtonen, P., González, M., Rauscher, H., Riego Sintes, J., Kostarelos, K., Bianco, A., & Prato, M. (2025). Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials. Small, 21, Article 2404570. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404570

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abstract = "Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity – from materials science to biology. Here, the outcomes of the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies performed on graphene and its derivatives, and the key lessons learned from this decade-long journey, are highlighted.",

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Fadeel, B, Baker, J, Ballerini, L, Bussy, C, Candotto Carniel, F, Tretiach, M, Pelin, M, Buerki‐Thurnherr, T, Kanerva, T, Navas, JM, Vázquez, E, Rodriguez Unamuno, V, Lehtonen, P, González, M, Rauscher, H, Riego Sintes, J, Kostarelos, K, Bianco, A & Prato, M 2025, 'Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials', Small, vol. 21, 2404570. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202404570

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T1 - Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials

AU - Fadeel, Bengt

AU - Baker, James

AU - Ballerini, Laura

AU - Bussy, Cyrill

AU - Candotto Carniel, Fabio

AU - Tretiach, Mauro

AU - Pelin, Marco

AU - Buerki‐Thurnherr, Tina

AU - Kanerva, Tomi

AU - Navas, José Maria

AU - Vázquez, Ester

AU - Rodriguez Unamuno, Virginia

AU - Lehtonen, Panja

AU - González, Mar

AU - Rauscher, Hubert

AU - Riego Sintes, Juan

AU - Kostarelos, Kostas

AU - Bianco, Alberto

AU - Prato, Maurizio

PY - 2025/1/15

Y1 - 2025/1/15

N2 - Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity – from materials science to biology. Here, the outcomes of the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies performed on graphene and its derivatives, and the key lessons learned from this decade-long journey, are highlighted.

AB - Graphene is the first 2D atomic crystal, and its isolation heralded a new era in materials science with the emergence of several other atomically thin materials displaying multifunctional properties. The safety assessment of new materials is often something of an afterthought, but in the case of graphene, the initial isolation and characterization of the material was soon followed by the assessment of its potential impact on living systems. The Graphene Flagship project addressed the health and environmental aspects of graphene and other 2D materials, providing an instructive lesson in interdisciplinarity – from materials science to biology. Here, the outcomes of the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies performed on graphene and its derivatives, and the key lessons learned from this decade-long journey, are highlighted.

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KW - safety assessment

KW - test guidelines

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VL - 21

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M1 - 2404570

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Safety Assessment of Graphene‐Based Materials

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Research Highlights, Institutes and Platforms

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Graphene Flagship Core 3

Graphene Flagship Core 2 (Division of Pharmacy and Optometry allocation).

Graphene-based disruptive technologies (H2020 Graphene Flagship Core1)

Research output

Advanced materials case study on graphene related materials (GRM): Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and other Advanced Materials, No. 112

Boron Nitride Nanomaterials Trigger Immunomodulatory Effects in Human Broncho‐Epithelial Cells by Modulating Eicosanoid Lipid Signaling

Environmental and Health Impacts of Graphene and other Two-Dimensional Materials: A Graphene Flagship Perspective

Cite this