(NHI Nanoblog) Seeking to halt the sale of a nanosilver-based pesticide until more health and safety information is available, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a federal suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday.
The environmental advocacy group, which has been highlighting potential safety concerns about the use of ultra-tiny silver particles as an antimicrobial agent for several years, accused the EPA of giving the manufacturer a “four-year free pass” by allowing the pesticide to come to market. After more than a year of deliberation, the agency granted “conditional registration” in December to HeiQ Materials’ AGS-20 product, which is essentially a composite of nanosilver and nanoscale silica.
According to the company, the ingredient will be incorporated into textiles.
Part of the conditional approval was an EPA requirement for more testing on what the pesticide might mean for people, animals and the environment. But the NRDC suit, filed in federal court in California, says that’s not enough, and calls for testing before AGS-20 is sold.
“EPA’s approval of nanosilver is just the most recent example in a long line of decisions that treats humans and our environment as guinea pigs for these untested pesticides,” Mae Wu, program attorney in NRDC’s health program, said in a press release from the group.
Nanotechnology leverages the often-unique properties of super-small particles to create products with amazing qualities. These materials can make better batteries or lighter and stronger bike frames, as well as new medical instruments and medicines that can save lives. They’re increasingly common in consumer products, from “mineral-based” sunscreens to stain-repellent pants to boat paints that resist algae growth.
Nanomaterials are believed to hold great promise for a wide variety of applications. But their ultra-tiny size also gives them different properties, and scientists are struggling to figure out whether that can make them dangerous in the process, and how and why it happens.
Nano-sized silver has become a hot commodity, and is being used to fight germs in products as varied as workout gear (to stop stink), toothpaste (to zap bad breath-causing bacteria) and humidifiders (to cut down on mold growth). While the silver industry maintains that it’s been used safely for centuries, advocates like the NRDC are concerned about its impact on people and the environment.
Other advocacy groups have also raised questions about nanosilver, and academics are making careers out of exploring the implications of the material. The EPA has moved cautiously because of the questions, amid impatience from industry and sharp criticism from environmentalists and consumer advocates.
With other regulatory moves on nanomaterials percolating, the NRDC’s suit bears watching.