New Report: Nano-silver a Threat to Public HealthToday, hundreds of consumer products incorporating nanomaterials are on the market. Many of these contain nano-silver. This new report from Friends of the Earth highlights the potential environmental and human health risks associated with this new technology. Silver is known as a potent antibacterial agent, but in recent years the use of silver as a germ killer has experienced a dramatic revival. When produced at the nano level, silver become exponentially more potent. Nano-silver can be found lining cups, bowls and cutting boards, soaps and menstrual pads, children’s toys, infant products and health supplements. Scientific evidence suggests silver, and in particular nano-silver, is toxic and may be detrimental to human health. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is an ever increasing problem globally, and to use nano-silver indiscriminately is not only unnecessary, but may further increase bacterial resistance to a dangerous level.
Yet, none of these products are subject to nano-specific safety assessments, leaving consumers and the public at large to bear the risks. As consumers, we have little ability to avoid these products because our government does not require companies to label them. Friends of the Earth 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, and until the public is involved in decision making for guiding nanotechnology development. News and UpdatesWe joined with the International Center for Technology Assessment in submitting a legal petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would require nano-silver products be removed from store shelves until proven to be safe. Read Andrew Schneider's article about the risk of nano-silver. ResourcesHear Ian Illuminato on KPFA's Against the Grain radio program describe the threats that nanotechnologies and nano-silver pose to people and the environment. |
While undoubtedly silver and nano-silver have useful applications in the medical arena (for instance as coatings for medical devices or as wound care for severe burns victims), their use needs to be strictly controlled. If there is no data on the dangers, then these products should not be on the market.