US coalition of NGOs petitions EPA to regulate silver nanoparticles
A coalition of consumer protection, health and environmental groups, led by the Washington-based International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA), filed a legal petition with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding the agency to halt the sale of consumer products containing silver nanoparticles.
Silver nanoparticles are incorporated in an increasing number of consumer products, due to their antimicrobial properties. According to the CTA, over 260 consumer products on the US market contain nano-silver, ranging from household appliances and cleaners to clothing, cutlery, and children’s toys to personal care products and coated electronics.
- EPA to amend its regulations or otherwise act to clarify that nano-silver is a pesticide and those products incorporating it are pesticide products that must be registered, approved by the agency, and labeled prior to marketing.
- EPA to clarify that nano-pesticides, such as nanosilver products, are new pesticide substances that require new pesticide registrations, with nano-specific toxicity data requirements, testing and risk assessments.
- EPA must assess the potential human health and environmental risks of nano-silver.
- EPA should take immediate action to prohibit the sale of nano-silver products as illegal pesticide products with unapproved health benefit claims.
- EPA after rigorous assessment approve any nano-silver products as pesticides, the agency must fully apply its pesticide regulations to any registered nanosilver pesticides.
- EPA should use its FIFRA authority to further review the potential impacts of nano-silver.
Joining the CTA petition are: the Center for Food Safety, Beyond Pesticides, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, ETC Group, Center for Environmental Health, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Clean Production Action, Food and Water Watch, the Loka Institute, the Center for Study of Responsive Law, and Consumers Union.
Follow these links to read the full CTA press release, or to download the Petition Executive Summary, the full Petition, or the list of CTA’s nanosilver product list.
The petition comes only a few days after researchers from the University of Missouri raised concern about the effects that an increased amount of anti-microbial silver particles in waste water could have on the benign species of bacteria that are used for wastewater treatment, and only a few weeks after researchers from Arizona State University recommended better standards for products containing silver nanoparticles, since simple leeching experiments in distilled water had shown that some anti-odor socks allegedly impregnated with silver nanoparticles, rapidly released their silver-content, while others caused no release at all.
The researchers noted that their study was not nanotechnology-specific, they exclaimed that ‘the history of silver and silver regulation has been set for decades by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency — we’re not trying to reexamine or reinvent that.’
Earlier this year, the US EPA fined a technology company US$208,000 for 'nano coating' pesticide claims on computer peripherals. According to the EPA, 'IOGEAR made unverified claims that coating on keyboard and mouse accessories would eliminate pathogens and kill bacteria.'
'We’re seeing far too many unregistered products that assert unsubstantiated antimicrobial properties,’ said Katherine Taylor, associate director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division in EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. ‘Whether the claim involves use of an existing material such as silver, or new nano technology, the EPA takes these unverified public health claims very seriously. Consumers should always follow common-sense hygiene practices, like washing hands frequently and thoroughly.’
Follow this link to read the full EPA press release.