Search news

Click here for search tips

Most searched tags

Particles released from Nano-Textiles: ‘nano’ in Quantity but not in Size

Published: Friday 9 October 2009

The journal Environmental Science and Technology has published a paper entitled ‘The Behavior of Silver Nanotextiles during Washing’ (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es9018332), reports the results of an experimental study that investigated 9 commercially available fabrics (with silver contents varying between 0.003 and 21.6 mg/g), into or onto which silver had been incorporated in different ways.

According to the paper abstract, the results show that ‘little dissolution of Ag-NPs [nanoparticles] occurs under conditions relevant to washing (pH 10) [...]. [...] The amount and form of Ag released from the fabrics as ionic and particulate Ag depended on the type of Ag-incorporation into the textile.’

The authors noted that the results of their study cannot be considered representative for all silver-containing textiles, nor can it be considered applicable to the whole lifetime of a textile because already the second cycle released less Ag. ‘However’, the paper concludes, ‘our first insight shows that Ag in the particulate fraction >450 nm is probably the predominant form of Ag released into the washing liquor and subsequently to wastewater.’

Follow these links to download the full paper, or to read an article covering this paper (and quoting related studies) in Chemical & Engineering News. 

 
Related Links:
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has published the 2nd Issue in a publication series on ‘Nanotechnologies in the 21st Century’: entitled ‘Nanomaterials – Health and Environmental Concerns’, this 2nd paper focuses on the uses and applications of four nanomaterials: [...] (31st July 2009)
 
The June Issue of the journal Nanotoxicology features a review article on nanosilver, entitled ‘Nano-silver – a review of available data and knowledge gaps in human and environmental risk assessment’. According to the abstract, the paper aims to provide ‘an inventory [...] to identify knowledge gaps that have to be filled before risks for both man and the environment can be assessed as reliable as for 'non-nanosized' chemicals. It is hypothesized that the toxic effects of nano-silver are due to a combination of the specific properties of silver nanoparticles and the generation of ions from them.’(30th June 2009)
 
Topical Briefings:
18th June 2009: California DTSC targets Nanometal Oxides, Nanosilver, and zero-valent Iron in possible second mandatory Data Call-In for Nanomaterials
(Beveridge & Diamond Client Alert) (18th June 2009)
 
In a joint report entitled ‘Nano & Biocidal Silver’, Friends of the Earth Australia and Friends of the Earth Unites States ‘calls for a immediate moratorium on the commercial release of products that contain manufactured nanosilver until nanotechnology-specific regulation is introduced to protect the public, workers and the environment from their risks, and until the public is involved in decision making.’ (11th June 2009)