Table 1.

Risk/no-risk statements by the graphene researchers and innovation advisors. Risk statements that should perhaps rather be classified as hazard statements according to the risk-hazard dichotomy are marked with an H within brackets

Risk	No-risk
Graphene researchers
“There must be some dangers with graphene…”	“…but it is a safe material… It is not toxic.”
“There might be health issues but we don’t know yet.”	“But it seems to be safe.”
“If you insert graphene into your body it might hurt you.” (H)	“But you do not insert it into the body.”
“It is important to distinguish between flakes that you can breathe in and powder graphene you do not want to inhale. What happens at the edges of graphene is important because other atoms can interact and disrupt cells.” (H)	“So far, the [Graphene] Flagship could not see any acute toxic effects… We see nothing alarming.”
“There are also health risks which limit its usability…”	“…but I am not aware of any such risks yet.”
“There is a risk with acids that are used in making graphene…”	“…but that is easily controlled.”
“We use some dangerous chemicals in the process…” (H)	“…but they are all approved in the lab.”
Graphene innovation advisors
“We have to study it… we do extensive studies.”	“We have not found any risk so far.”
“When they [companies] ask if it’s dangerous we have to say ‘a little, well, maybe, maybe a little, or maybe not’.”	“It’s not poisonous, there’s no danger that it’s a toxin.”
“It’s too large a research area to say that there are not any risks… we have to do so many more studies.”	“So far one has not seen any large risks, on the contrary, the toxicologists have not found anything.”
“It’s not good if you breathe it in…” (H)	“…but it’s just carbon atoms.”
“Research has to be conducted in parallel with the development of new materials and ways of using them.”	“One cannot think of everything, but the risk should be quite small unless I am wrong.”