EPA Registers Nanosilver Pesticide Product

Posted by Jackie Pucci|19 May 2015

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it has issued a registration for a nanosilver-containing antimicrobial pesticide product named “NSPW-L30SS,” or “Nanosilva.”

This silver-based product will be used as a non-food-contact preservative to protect plastics and textiles from odor- and stain-causing bacteria, fungi, mold and mildew. Items to be treated include, for example, household items, electronics, sports gear, hospital equipment, bathroom fixtures and accessories.

EPA said its decision was based on its evaluation of the hazard of nanosilver after reviewing exposure data and other information on nanosilver from the applicant, as well as data from the scientific literature. These data show that plastics and textiles treated with NSPW-L30SS release exceedingly small amounts of silver.

“Based on this evaluation, the Agency determined that NSPW-L30SS will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on people, including children, or the environment and that it would be beneficial because it will introduce less silver into the environment than competing products. EPA is also requiring the company to generate additional data to refine the Agency’s exposure estimates,” EPA said.