UK Advisory Committee on Hazardous Waste urges further studies on nanosilver in consumer products
(Nanowerk News) The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances to the United Kingdom's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in a "Report on Nanosilver" (pdf download) has recommended to British government agencies that they gather information about products containing nanosilver, saying that the information on both the hazards of and exposure to nanosilver is urgently required.
The report recommends:
"Further knowledge on both hazard and exposure is urgently required, given the large uncertainties identified in this document. Direct funding and leveraging of other funding sources are suggested as mechanisms to fund immediate priorities:
(i) Development of methods to quantify nanosilver in the environment;
(ii) Understanding fate and behaviour processes (transport and persistence), especially to identify environmental ‘hotspots’ with high mass or particle number concentration;
(iii) Understanding biological effects (bioaccumulation, toxicity) under realistic conditions.
Specifically, it is suggested that the relevant government bodies immediately fund a thorough review of this area including the peer-reviewed literature, grey literature and research projects in progress and recently completed. This review should lead up to a workshop which brings together relevant stakeholders. The workshop should focus in knowledge exchange between stakeholders, development of a coherent and integrated research strategy and medium term horizon scanning (developments in the next 5-10 years)."
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