Nanotechnology is the key to get innovative materials having new functionalities and to conserve ressources. Nanosilver for example is necessary for the control of organisms that are harmful to human or animal health and for the control of organisms that cause damage to natural or manufactured materials. The BMBF funded project “nanoGEM – Nanostructured Materials – Health, Exposure and Material Characteristics” focused on the topic: “To what extend are particles with dimensions in the range of a millionth millimetres affecting living organisms?” The research pursued by the consortium will facilitate answers which are urgently needed for a sound risk assessment. At the NanoGEM closing conference, which took place June 12 and 13, 2013 in Berlin, scientists concluded that it is necessary to group nanomaterials to efficiently evaluate their toxicity. In the framework of the three-year project, scientists from the German Institute for Risk Evaluation (BfR), the University of Münster, the Institute for Energy and Environmental Engineering (IUTA) in Duisburg, BASF, Bayer and 8 other partners investigated the safety of nanomaterials. Focusing on a variety of materials based on silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, zircon dioxide and silver, the consortium aimed to better understand the behavior of nanomaterials in the body. The scientists investigated exposure, changes in the life cycle, uptake and distribution, toxicity, and mechanisms. Surface, functional groups and agglomeration were shown to strongly determine the behavior of nanoparticles in the cellular environment. Further, the scientists used a variety of toxicological tests including Ames tests, a micronucleus tests, short term inhalation studies and in vivo intratracheal instillation to evaluate toxicity. Now the results have been published: The behavior of a nanoparticle in the body is determined by the properties of the substance it consists of. The size of the particles is of secondary importance. The main factors that determine whether there is a toxic effect are the actual material properties, in this case of silicon dioxide, silver or zirconium dioxide. A specific toxic effect, simply related to the nanosize of a material could not be detected. The risks of nanomaterials can be minimized by incorporating the nanoparticles into e.g. polymers or coatings, which is the recommended application for AgPURE nanosilver. Even nanosilver containing textiles exhibit minor risks. Especially when incorporated into the textile e.g. via the AgPURE technology the exposure with nanosilver particles and a release of nanoparticles during laundry is avoided.
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