Nanosilver in food packaging – can the nanoparticles migrate from the packaging into the food?
Silver nanoparticles impart antimicrobial properties to plastic packaging materials and can prevent the growth of food-damaging microorganisms via the targeted release of silver ions. There is a possibility that, in addition to silver ions, silver nanoparticles are being released from the packaging and migrate into the food. From a research perspective, this issue has not […]
How can you produce safe nano-textiles?
The Swiss project NanoSafe Textiles has carefully assessed current and future applications of synthetic nanoparticles in textiles and evaluated their potential risks for the environment and humans throughout the complete lifecycle. Based on these results the project team compiled a guideline for the textile industry on how to produce safe, sustainable and economically attractive nano-enhanced textiles. […]
Graffiti protection and easy-to-clean surfaces – how does that work and is it safe?
Special coatings are used to generate self-cleaning surfaces or anti-graffiti-protection. The coatings are virtually invisible and protect the base material without changing its appearance. Adherence of dirt particles on such smooth, non-sticky and water- repellent surfaces (on facades, windows, walls, vehicles) is very poor which is why they can easily be rinsed off and removed. […]
Why do pesticides contain nanomaterials?
The main motivation to use nanomaterials in pesticide formulations is to increase the solubility of the active ingredient. This has some advantages over conventional pesticides with regard to controlled and targeted release, protection against the degradation of the active ingredient, and hence overall an increased efficiency for pest control. Collectively, this enables reducing the dose […]
Is it possible to specifically recycle nanomaterials from products?
No, a recovery of nanomaterials from a product is not feasible, because the nanomaterials are often tightly embedded in a matrix and the separation of nanomaterials is technically difficult. However, the majority of nanomaterial-containing products is recycled (e.g. plastics, electronic goods). Read more about this topic in our cross cutting article – “Nanomaterials in waste”!
What is nanoplastic and what is it applied for?
Nanoplastics are particles that comprise various polymers (e.g. PET – Polyethylene terephthalate, PS – Polystyrene). Depending on the definition used they are less than 1 μm or less than 100 nm in size, respectively. Thus, the term nanoplastics does not describe a uniform material. It is important to distinguish between primary and secondary nanoplastics. Primary nanoplastic particles […]
Comparing nanomaterials with microplastics – What is the difference?
The main difference between nano- and microplastics is the respective size range. Microplastics are exclusively composed of polymers such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene) and comprise a group of larger particles up to 5 µm in size. An agreed definition of microplastics does not exist yet. Primary microplastics describe all industrially manufactured […]
Nanosilver in the refrigerator – is this poisoning my food and making me sick?
Silver has been used since thousands of years to keep water sterile. Nowadays nanosilver is more and more used for this purpose, but it is not directly visible if a refrigerator is coated with nanosilver. Nevertheless, the exposure in this case via the food is very small and has no relevance for our health. By […]
Nano in food packaging – is this already on the market and is it safe?
In food packaging many different materials are used and for nanomaterials many application possibilities exist, thus, there is no general answer. There are surely products on the market, which contain nanomaterials or nanosized coatings. Within the EU materials intended to come into contact with food must be sufficiently inert to preclude any adverse effect for […]
Why does sunscreen contain nanomaterials in the first place?
Two different groups of UV-blockers are used in sunscreen to protect against UV radiation: inorganic (also called mineral) and organic UV-blocker. Both types often absorb the radiation and release it with less energy (e.g. as heat); however, some of the radiation can also be reflected. Both organic and inorganic UV-blocker can be contained in nanoform. […]