Nanosilver: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

Seltenrich, Nate

doi:10.1289/ehp.121-a220

Cited by 84 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…This does not immediately imply that the use of silver should be advocated before a thorough benefit–risk analysis has been done 18. It is questionable whether the widespread use of nanosilver in consumer products may lead to adverse effects in ecosystems as well as to humans.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative performance of a panel of commercially available antimicrobial nanocoatings in Europe

Molling¹,

Seezink²,

Teunissen³

et al. 2014

NSA

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BackgroundBacterial resistance against the classic antibiotics is posing an increasing challenge for the prevention and treatment of infections in health care environments. The introduction of antimicrobial nanocoatings with active ingredients provides alternative measures for active killing of microorganisms, through a preventive hygiene approach.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of a panel of antimicrobial coatings available on the European market.MethodsA comparative, biased selection of commercially available antimicrobial coatings was tested for antimicrobial efficiency. Suppliers were contacted to deliver their coatings on glass and/or stainless steel substrates. In total, 23 coatings from eleven suppliers were received, which were investigated for their effect on the growth of Escherichia coli, using the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 22196 protocol.ResultsThe majority of nanomaterial-containing coatings (n=13) contained nanosilver (n=12), while only one had photocatalytic TiO2 as the active particle. The differences in antimicrobial activity among all of the coatings, expressed as log reduction values, varied between 1.3 and 6.6, while the variation within the nanomaterial-based group was between 2.0 and 6.2. Although nanosilver coatings were on average very effective in reducing the number of viable bacteria after challenge, the strongest log reduction (6.6) was seen with a coating that has immobilized, covalently bound quaternary ammonium salt in its matrix. Besides these two compounds, coatings containing TiO2, poly(dimethylsiloxane), triclosan, or zinc pyrithione evoked 100% killing of E. coli.ConclusionOur findings indicate that nanosilver dominates the nanoparticle-based coatings and performs adequately. However, considering the unknowns in relation to ecotoxicological emission and effects, it needs further consideration before widespread application into different environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative performance of a panel of commercially available antimicrobial nanocoatings in Europe

Molling¹,

Seezink²,

Teunissen³

et al. 2014

NSA

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“…However, the risks of NMs have attracted public concern due to their possible toxic effects on human health. Among the NMs, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which have excellent antimicrobial activities, have been widely used in biomedical devices and applications such as food and beverage containers, textiles, and room sprays [6][7][8][9]. Therefore, humans are exposed to great numbers of AgNPs, which may induce a range of uncertain toxic effects on human health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silver nanoparticles interact with the cell membrane and increase endothelial permeability by promoting VE-cadherin internalization

Sun

Shi

Zou

et al. 2016

Journal of Hazardous Materials

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“…The increasing prevalence of AgNPs has led to concerns about accumulation in the environment as well as possible health effects (Fabrega, 2011, Seltenrich, 2013). Further, because AgNPs are small, there is concern about persistence of these materials in the body following multiple routes of exposure, including exposures to the respiratory system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence of silver nanoparticles in the rat lung: Influence of dose, size, and chemical composition

et al. 2014

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Increasing silver nanoparticle (AgNP) use in sprays, consumer products and medical devices has raised concerns about potential health effects. While previous studies have investigated AgNPs, most were limited to a single particle size or surface coating. In this study, we investigated the effect of size, surface coating and dose on the persistence of silver in the lung following exposure to AgNP. Adult male rats were intratracheally instilled with four different AgNPs: 20 or 110nm in size and coated with either citrate or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at 0.5 or 1.0mg/kg doses. Silver retention was assessed in the lung at 1, 7 and 21 days post exposure. ICP-MS quantification demonstrated that citrate coated AgNPs persisted in the lung to 21 days with greater than 90% retention, while PVP coated AgNP had less than 30% retention. Localization of silver in lung tissue at one day post exposure demonstrated decreased silver in proximal airways exposed to 110nm particles compared with 20nm AgNPs. In terminal bronchioles one day post exposure, silver was localized to surface epithelium but was more prominent in the basement membrane at 7 days. Silver positive macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid decreased more quickly after exposure to particles coated with PVP. We conclude that PVP coated AgNPs had less retention in the lung tissue over time and larger particles were more rapidly cleared from large airways than smaller particles. The 20nm citrate particles the greatest effect; increasing lung macrophages even 21days after exposure and resulted in the greatest silver retention in lung tissue.

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Nanosilver: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

Cited by 84 publications

References 20 publications

Comparative performance of a panel of commercially available antimicrobial nanocoatings in Europe

Comparative performance of a panel of commercially available antimicrobial nanocoatings in Europe

Silver nanoparticles interact with the cell membrane and increase endothelial permeability by promoting VE-cadherin internalization

Persistence of silver nanoparticles in the rat lung: Influence of dose, size, and chemical composition

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