PDF《Emma Fauss University of Virginia》

The Silver Nanotechnology Commercial Inventory Emma Fauss University of Virginia September

2008 The Silver Nanotechnology Commercial Inventory was compiled by Emma Fauss during an internship with the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.

This work was completed as part of her graduate thesis work at the University of Virginia with support from the National Science Foundation SES awards #0708914 and #0530100. The inventory is neither comprehensive nor complete, and only contains those products and companies that were available on the market or had the potential to contact or affect the public directly or indirectly in 2007. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not reflect those of The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars or The Pew Charitable Trusts.

1 Introduction To compliment the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies'

Consumer Prod- uct Inventory the Silver Nanotechnology Commercial Inventory (SNCI) adds new categories which illuminate the implications of nanosilver usage. The SNCI examines nanosilver applications that are available on the market or have the po- tential to contact or affect the public directly or indirectly. The inventory in- cludes products that claimed to use silver nanotechnology or silver colloids or are associated with a precursor product which makes these claims.1 This in- cludes consumer products, medical applications and precursor products that will be incorporated into final products. Silver nanotechnology utilizes nanoscale silver to bestow antibacterial prop- erties onto a given product. Generally, this involves the application or incorpora- tion of nano-sized silver particles into or on the surface of a product. The pur- pose of the SNCI is to provide a cross section of silver nanotechnology applica- tions that are currently on the market. These include products ranging from cleaning sprays, skin creams, ATM buttons, and sports clothing. All of the nano- technology applications contained within this database incorporate nano-sized silver particles (or nanosilver ) into their products. Nanosilver technologies appear in a variety of manufacturing processes and end products. It can appear imbedded in a coating which is applied to the prod- uct by the manufacturer (coating). Some products come in a liquid form and are meant to be applied to form a coating (coating &

spray). Nanosilver can be pre- sented in a liquid form such as a homeopathy colloid or contained within a shampoo (liquid). It can also be embedded in a solid such as a polymer master batch or be suspended in a bar of soap (solid). Nanosilver can also be utilized in the textile industry by incorporating it into the fiber (spun) or produced as a powder (powder). The database was designed with the purpose of adding a level of transpar- ency for the public in respect to the use of silver nanotechnology. There is an on-

1 Any statements, claims and views expressed by a manufacturer or third-party contained in this inventory are solely those of the party making the statement or claim.

2 going debate about the benefits and risks of certain nanotechnologies introduced into the market place. This database provides a snapshot of the publicly avail- able information about products available on the market. The search was con- ducted as if an inquisitive consumer were searching for publicly-available data on different nanosilver products. The information collected covers a broad range of information pertinent to silver nanotechnology. The majority of the data collected is from company and product websites. Additional information comes from product listings, informa- tion pages, external documents, inquiries made to the company or unaffiliated external articles;

these cases are noted as such. There are many data gaps, denoted as NA , throughout the inventory. These gaps are important, as they represent actual (or lack of) information avail- able to the consumer. A later section addresses some of the trends the data gaps highlighted by this inventory follow. This inventory will provide a usable framework for future data collection on this subject, should it be attempted. The total number of commercial product records in the inventory is 240, ac- counting for

214 general commercial products and

26 precursor products. There were a total of

65 companies involved in the design and manufacturing of the commercial products listed, representing eleven countries: China, Germany, Iran, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, The United Kingdom and the United States of America. Methodology The development of the SNCI began in 2007, designed to evaluate nanosilver products currently on the market and aid in understanding what information companies were and were not providing. Entries are primarily based on Internet searches and, as of now, are limited to product information available in English. The product search began by searching silver on the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies'

Consumer Products Inventory. The resulting product search led to parent companies and intermediary companies which, in turn, led to press releases, news articles, advertisements, information brochures, company toxicity

3 studies and additional commercial products. In some cases, foreign search en- gines were used to explore foreign markets. Blind searches were also performed, scanning the Internet for companies and manufacturers referenced as having worked with nanosilver. No attempt was made to verify manufacturer claims about the use of silver nanotechnology in any products, nor has any independent testing of the products occurred. Product information incorporated in the SNCI originated from the company website or product listing, unless otherwise noted. Individual product informa- tion includes the date the entry was created and/or modified, along with par- ticulars as to when and where the data was recorded. In some cases companies were solicited for information through phone and/or e-mail. The context under which these companies were approached was that of an interested consumer. The elicited response from these companies was assumed to be the response any consumer might obtain by directly contacting the company. These cases are noted as such throughout the SNCI. This was done, in part, to see what informa- tion is made available by public inquiry and to clarify certain claims on their websites. Company policies regarding information on their products are muta- ble and have, in many cases, changed or removed products from their listings (see Sharper Image Corporation'

s Miracle Food Storage sidebar). By dating and recording available data future updates can identify trends in public transpar- ency concerning silver nanotechnology. Criteria for Entry into the Inventory ? A consumer or commercial product which can be purchased ? A precursor to another product ? Product that contains a form of nanosilver ? Product that is identified as containing a nano or colloid compo- nent

4 A commercial product represents a product that a consumer might have con- tact with. Precursor products represent products that are used in the fabrication/ production process of a separate end product. Generic indicates a product that is available in a range of models and/or sizes offered by that company. This is illustrated by Korean Samsung refrigerators which use a nanosilver coating on the interior surface to prevent bacterial growth. Samsung included this technol- ogy in

11 different side-by-side refrigerator models.2 The numbers of generic products available which claim to utilize this technology are listed.

2 Samsung Corporation, imagine Side by Side Samsung Refrigerator, http://www.samsung.com/he/products/refrigerator/sidebyside/index.asp (accessed July 12, 2007). Sharper Image Corporation'

s Miracle Food Storage Sharper Image Product Information

2006 Claims silver nanotechnology FresherLonger? Miracle Food Storage containers Are Naturally Anti-Germ, Anti-Mold &

Anti- Fungus Real silver-yes, the mined mineral found in silver- ware C is naturally anti-germ, anti-mold and anti- fungus. Silver in microscopic particle antibacterial agent. That is why silver nanoparticles are infused into the polypropylene containers of the FresherLonger? system. Compared to your regular food storage con- tainers, the 24-hour growth of bacteria inside Fresh- erLonger containers with antibacterial silver nano- particles is reduced by over 98percent! Created by advanced nanotechnology ( nano indicating one billionth), these silver nanoparticles average only about 25nm (nanometers) in diameter C

25 billionth of a meter;

one

200 thousandth of a human hair. Their natural color gives FresherLonger? Miracle Food Storage containers their distinctive golden hue. Sharper Image Product Information 07.2007 No Claims mentioning silver nanotechnology End the expense, disappointment and frustration of tossing out costly food that has spoiled or grown furry much too quickly. Keep all kinds of foods fresher for longer ― helping to preserve the flavor, nutrients and appearance of fruits, vegetables, herbs, breads, cheeses, soups, sauces and meats. Even raspberries last a long time! Sharper Image'

s exclusive FresherLonger? Mira- cle Food Storage Containers are made of specially treated air- and odor-impermeable polypropylene and they feature a patent-pending, airtight silicone-gasket locking system that helps prevent spoilage. The containers are spillproof, shatterproof and safe for the dishwasher, microwave and fridge. They help prevent freezer burn too! The translu- cent containers'

rectangular shape makes for effi- cient storage;

they have snap closures on all four sides for extra security. 90-day warranty. In

2006 Sharper Image was making claims that the FresherLonger? Miracle Food Storage con- tained silver nanoparticles that made the product antibacterial. By 2007, those claims had been removed, yet according to the company on 08.09.2007 the product has not changed.

5 Nanosilver Attributes / Characterization Products utilizing nanosilver technologies include dietary supplements, spray-on disinfectants and anti-odor textile applications to name a few. Forty- five percent of the products listed in the SNCI reported the nanoparticle size used in the product;

ranging from 0.3nm to 250nm. Only two products in the da- tabase had particle sizes above 100nm in diameter. These two products from NT Base Co., Ltd. and JR Nanotech PLC consisted of powders ranging from 25- 250nm, both originating from NT Base Co., Ltd. Because the range included nanoparticles below 100nm they were included in the database. The average nanoparticles size of all reported products was

24 nm. (Refer to Appendix B Av- erage Particle Size Calculation for further information) The distribution of commercial products is displayed in Figure 1. Each category is divided into gen- eral commercial and precursor products. Figure 1. Distribution of Commercial Products by Nanomaterial Form

6 Product Categories The commercial products were categorized under a scheme similar to the PEN Consumer Product Inventory. Two additional categories were added, Medical Applications and Public . In addition, subcategories under each ma- jor category were included which allows further organization of the products. Subcategories were added to Cross-Cutting and medical health related prod- ucts were moved under Medical Applications . The Public category includes products which the public would likely have contact........