Carbon (C) is a compound with an average molecular weight of 12.01 g/mol. Carbon belongs to the organic compounds. In industrial applications, it is used as a filler (PMC10972384, PMC6415092), hardener, processing aid not otherwise specified, degradant/impurity, alloying element, catalyst (PMC8941171), flame retardant (PMC12251686, PMC8659536), lubricant (PMC9696840), additive (PMC13130189), fuel (PMC10971603), and reducing agent (PMC10507233). Its biological roles include serving as an antioxidant (PMC12157995) and an agonist (PMC7456940), while it acts as an environmental nutrient (PMC5432550). Carbon is used in plastics such as High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polyamide, Polyurethane, Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and Polycarbonate, and it is present in High impact polystyrene. It is recorded as being released from healthcare, pharmaceuticals & veterinary products specifically as intestinal adsorbents, with recorded exposure routes including dental, oral, and topical, as well as inhalation (PMC11791868).
Health effects associated with carbon include inflammation (PMC5739140), necrosis (PMC3042947), hemolysis (PMC5039077), asthma (PMC4181605), pancreatic cancer (PMC12927732), and an increase in osteoarthritis (PMC7322565). Conversely, it is associated with a decrease in cancer (PMC8999700), ischemic stroke (PMC9075393), and dementia (PMC4892323). It is decreased in the blood in cases of multiple myeloma (PMC5586838) and atopic dermatitis (PMC12072035). Carbon serves as a biomarker of cancer (PMC9170864) and is used as a treatment for cancer (PMC12216499), COVID-19 (PMC8406542), and male infertility (PMC8523395). Additionally, it has therapeutic effects on infertility (PMC9476395), obesity (PMC12584629), glaucoma (PMC11013077), and lung cancer (PMC4670692).
