Nanosilver in the Wash

Summary posted by Meridian on 10/20/2009
Source: American Chemical Society
Author: Britt E. Erickson

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing & Research, Switzerland, have conducted research to look at the behavior of nanosilver textiles under real-world washing conditions, building upon earlier studies conducted at Arizona State University, United States, in which textiles were washed without detergents. Bernd Nowack and his colleagues found that the total amount of silver – both dissolved and as particulates – leached during washing varies significantly (from one to forty-five percent) depending on the product and the conditions. Nowack said "[S]ome particles are only loosely attached to the fiber; others are incorporated into the fiber. Companies have a possibility to optimize their products by using a method that strongly binds the particles." More than half of the silver released into the washing machine was in the form of particles larger than 450 nanometers in diameter; the researchers have not yet characterized the particles or determined what happens to them during wastewater treatment. The team also found that adding a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide to the water greatly accelerated the dissolution of silver, showing that washing conditions matter in the leaching of silver nanomaterials from fabric. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

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our team contact us site map	Nanosilver in the Wash Summary posted by Meridian on 10/20/2009 Source: American Chemical Society Author: Britt E. Erickson Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing & Research, Switzerland, have conducted research to look at the behavior of nanosilver textiles under real-world washing conditions, building upon earlier studies conducted at Arizona State University, United States, in which textiles were washed without detergents. Bernd Nowack and his colleagues found that the total amount of silver – both dissolved and as particulates – leached during washing varies significantly (from one to forty-five percent) depending on the product and the conditions. Nowack said "[S]ome particles are only loosely attached to the fiber; others are incorporated into the fiber. Companies have a possibility to optimize their products by using a method that strongly binds the particles." More than half of the silver released into the washing machine was in the form of particles larger than 450 nanometers in diameter; the researchers have not yet characterized the particles or determined what happens to them during wastewater treatment. The team also found that adding a bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide to the water greatly accelerated the dissolution of silver, showing that washing conditions matter in the leaching of silver nanomaterials from fabric. The article can be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at pubs.acs.org/cen/news/87/i40/8740notw6.html As tagged by Meridian Institute: Implications: Human Enhancement, Human Health Risks, Governance, Environmental Risks Materials And Manufacturing: Fiber, Clothing Nanomaterials: Metal Nanoparticle Regions: North America, Europe Stakeholders: Government, Industry, Academia Water And Sanitation: Sanitation Minerals And Metals: Metals Related Forums: Materials and Manufacturing Water and Sanitation Metals and Minerals Human Health Risks and Worker Safety Environmental Risks Governance print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More] Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More] Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More] Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.