Okay kiddo, so you know how sometimes people make really tiny things called nanoparticles? Well, carbon is a type of material that is sometimes used to make these tiny particles. These tiny carbon particles, called carbon nanomaterials, are used in things like electronics and medicine because they're so small and can do cool things.
Now, sometimes people worry that these carbon nanomaterials can be toxic. This means that they might be bad for our health or the environment. Scientists who study this topic are called toxicologists.
One reason why people worry about the toxicity of carbon nanomaterials is because they're so small. This means that they can get inside our bodies or the environment more easily than bigger particles. When they get inside, they can interact with different things and cause problems. Scientists have found that some types of carbon nanomaterials can damage cells or cause inflammation in the body.
However, not all carbon nanomaterials are the same. Some types are more toxic than others, depending on their size, shape, and how they're made. That's why toxicologists do experiments to figure out which types of carbon nanomaterials are safe and which ones aren't. They test things like how the particles interact with cells, how they're absorbed by the body or environment, and how long they stay there.
Overall, toxicologists are still learning about the safety of carbon nanomaterials. But by studying them carefully, they hope to figure out how to use them in a way that's both cool and safe.