From Nick Morley
Should chlorinated C50 buckyballs be produced in large quantities to test their possible properties (8 May, p 18)? Your story appears to be an invitation to start manufacturing these compounds without regard to their environmental effect. Prior experience with halogenated compounds, particularly those which are completely novel – that is, never found in nature – suggests that we should proceed extremely warily.
For example, polychlorinated biphenyls, halogenated pesticides and mixed-halogen hydrocarbons such as freons were all presented as safe means of solving one or more of humanity’s problems. The detrimental effects of introducing them into the environment should warn us of the potential for unexpected responses. While I accept that there may be problems that are so important that any solution is better than none, the uses of chlorinated buckyballs seem unlikely to fall into this category.
The claims that these substances were “safe” appear to translate as “they presented no anticipated problems”. This is akin to maintaining that jumping off high buildings is safe – as it is, until you meet the ground.
Dunoon, Argyllshire, UK
