Posted: June 30, 2009 |
Australian scientists call for control of nano-silver use |
(Nanowerk News) ABC in Australia carries a report on its website that quotes Australian scientists saying that widespread use of antibacterial silver nanoparticles in consumer products should be kept in check.
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"The comments come as the Friends of the Earth release a report ("Nano silver: extreme germ killer presents a growing threat to public health") that calls for a moratorium on the use of manufactured silver nanoparticles in commercial products.
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Tiny silver particles in solution have long been used in wound dressings, but in recent years industry has been using nanosized silver particles in an ever-expanding range of consumer products.
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Nano-silver particles have a greater biocidal effect than larger particles because they release more microbe-killing silver ions.
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Nano-silver is currently being used in socks, childrens' toys, eating utensils and refrigerators, as well as cosmetics and personal care products.
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But, a growing number of scientists are raising questions about the potential for nano-silver particles to present an environmental health risk.
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Call for restraint
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Associate Professor Tom Faunce, an expert in the medical and regulatory aspects of nanotechnology at the Australian National University in Canberra says because nano-silver is very useful in medicine, he does not support the call for a total moratorium on nano-silver.
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But he thinks there does need to be some restraint on its use.
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"There is accumulating evidence now that if nano-silver use is left unrestrained and it enters the waterways in large amounts, this will be dangerous to the environment," says Faunce.
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He says it is well understood that silver ions can be toxic to humans at high enough levels, but regulators should be concerned now about broader toxicity impacts of nano-silver.
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Faunce says, attention should be given to the impact of chronic exposure of humans and the environment to lower concentrations of nano-silver, which may have unique impacts due to its ultrasmall size.
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He calls on the government to look at restricting nano-silver in specific products such as clothes and washing machines, where it is likely to end up in the sewage system and kill bacteria important to waste processing.
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Toxicologist, Dr Paul Wright of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology agrees nano-silver shouldn't be used "needlessly".
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Read the full article here.
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