Smaller than a virus and used in more than 200 consumer products, silver nanoparticles can kill and mutate fish embryos, new research shows.

Tiny particles of silver –  potent anti-microbial agents that can kill bacteria on contact –  are becoming increasingly popular in consumer goods, including washing machines, refrigerators, clothing and toys.

But as use of these microscopic silver particles grows, some scientists now are raising concerns about potential effects on the environment and human health.

Many nanoparticles, including nanosilver, wash down drains and are not removed by sewage treatment, so they are discharged into lakes and rivers, where fish and other aquatic life are exposed. Research into the environmental implications of these silver nanoparticles has begun, but there are no answers yet about what happens when they enter ecosystems.

“I think we jumped the gun” by creating such large volumes of nanoparticles, said University of Utah researcher Darin Furgeson. “We should take more time and really look at these new nano-systems before we start to throw them into personal products and shoot them into these ecosystems.”

Nanotechnology is projected to be a trillion dollar industry by 2015, with some saying it will be the focus of the next industrial revolution. The number of products – including sunscreens, paints, vitamins, food additives, electronics, vehicles and appliances –  that use nanomaterials has increased almost 380 percent since 2006, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit group that tracks nanotechnology.

Nanoparticles are pieces of metal or other substances that are engineered to measure less than 100 nanometers in length. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. In comparison, a human blood cell is about 8,000 nanometers and the HIV virus is about 130.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a new research strategy to better understand the environmental effects of these microscopic particles. In addition, last year, the EPA and the National Science Foundation established two new centers, led by UCLA and Duke University, to examine the environmental implications of nanotechnology.

“The same special properties that make nanoscale materials useful are also properties that may cause some nanoscale materials to pose potential risks to humans and the environment, under specific conditions. At this point not enough information exists to fully assess these risks,” said an EPA report released in January. The report summarized the EPA’s Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, which collected voluntary information from companies that manufacture or use nanoparticles.

5 Comments

1. 1. Gmays3d 08:57 PM 11/17/09

   Evolution will take care of this, but we may not like the results.

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2. 2. Carlton22 09:27 AM 11/18/09

   Thank you for scientifically verifying the effectiveness of colloidal silver "tiny particles of silver - potent anti-microbial agents that can kill bacteria on contact". It is nice to see a verification of Alternative Medicine in the writings of Scientific American. Now if we can get the FDA and AMA to recognize it we may finally be able to rid ourselves of "super bugs" that develop resistance to Big Pharma's anti-biotics. Sure it is not as profitable but we will be a lot healthier for it.
   
   Colloidal silver does not harm the helpful micro flora of the gut and no microbe can develop a resistance to it. Anti-biotics are indiscriminant killers that kill the good and the bad and the ugly allowing harmful yeast and fungi to overtake the body (cancer). The toxins in the feces and other offal of yeast and fungi cause a host of symptoms that mimic many diseases causing people to burden the health care system looking for a cure. They take up the doctor's time and they spend a lot of money on Drugs that do not cure the problem but only make it worse. Of course, Big Pharma loves this and they help perpetuate it.
   
   Nano particles of silver and many other minerals have always been a part of the make-up of sea water. They are called trace elements and we need them to maintain healthy bodies. Trace elements are what are lacking in our food supply as chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides deplete the soil of the elements we need for health. A lot of the increase in diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, obesity and a host of other "modern illnesses" have their roots (literally) in depleted trace elements in the soil. Farmers used to grind stones to spread on their fields to maintain healthy levels of trace elements in their soils. We need to restore our soil if we ever hope to restore health in our people. This alone would do a lot more for healthcare in America than any bill Congress could conjure up.
   
   I agree. A lot of the nano technology as well as genetic manipulation (Monsanto et al) that is going on is very unhealthy to all of life on this planet. Cross breeding plants to create a more productive and healthier plant is one thing; genetically manipulating the makeup of a plant is another. Our bodies evolved along with other life forms on this planet in a symbiosis and introducing strange nanobots and gmo's into the equation throws the whole system out of balance. And that, my friend, is a recipe for disaster.

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3. 3. ormondotvos 04:00 PM 11/20/09

   I love reading Scientific Word Salad like the above alternative medicine diatribe. It's like a big verbal burp. Try thinking about it as you read it, and you'll realize it's just scary BS to make you buy the latest fad medicine.

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4. 4. ariasullivan 10:49 AM 10/19/11

   Wow, this is great information. I strongly believe that as a pet owner, you should be aware of issues that could be potentially harmful for your pet. Dog owners should know about the parvovirus (http://earlydetectpet.net), and fish owners should know about nanosilver.

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5. 5. kscmac 11:23 PM 7/6/12

   
   Silver is one of the most toxic heavy metals. The EPA has no know toxic listing for silver! Going the give the Earth a citation for making colloidal silver? its all around us in nature! If I put drops of bleach in a fish take till they die going to stop making bleach?

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