They serve as anti-bacterial or anti-fungal additives and threaten the environment. The use of silver nanoparticles should be limited to uses proven to be useful, according to an opinion.
Invisible to the naked eye, they serve as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. But silver nanoparticles are not without danger, recalls theNational health security agency (Handles). They are used as antibacterial additives, in food packaging and internal coatings of refrigerators. Cosmetics are also very fond of it: toothbrushes and disinfectant sprays contain it regularly. Faced with this massive use, ANSES carried out a review of recent literature.
“Recently published toxicology research is often contradictory, making it still difficult to date to estimate the dangerousness of silver nanoparticles”, specifies ANSES on its site. It is therefore impossible to issue a firm opinion on the supposed toxicity for reproduction, genes or the brain. The effect of silver nanoparticles on the environment, on the other hand, is proven: they promote the mortality of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, while inhibiting their growth and reproduction.
ANSES therefore issues two main recommendations. On the one hand, the traceability of data and consumer information must be strengthened, particularly in the food sector. “Silver does not appear in the list of minerals that can be used for the manufacture of food supplements, whether in nanoparticulate form or not,” recalls the Agency. On the other hand, the addition of silver nanoparticles must be limited to indications of demonstrated utility, ie whose benefits for human health exceed the risks for the environment.
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