Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: "Iranian Scientists Investigate Dermal Effects of Nanosilver, Silver Nitrate"

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Abstract:
Iranian scientists at Tehran's Medical Sciences University warned that caution should be taken in using products containing silver nanoparticles which are in contact with body skin.

Iranian Scientists Investigate Dermal Effects of Nanosilver, Silver Nitrate

Tehran, Iran | Posted on August 18th, 2011

"The emergence of nanotechnology and its wide applications in different industries has drawn abundant attentions to its toxicology so that a new branch entitled nanotoxicology is introduced. Given the vast applications of nanosilver as an antibacterial substance and the lack of information on its toxicological aspects, it is necessary to first focus on the skin toxicity of this substance and second on the potential of its toxicity to the organs caused by skin contacts", Ms. Mitra Karani, M.Sc. at toxicology from Medical Science University of Tehran, said.

Ms. Karani stated that the aim of this study was to address the question about the dermal and systematic side-effects of long-term use of products containing nanosilver and its difference to those of silver nitrate.

She used Guinea pig as test animal because of its high skin sensitivity. Three concentrations of nanosilver as test groups and two positive (silver nitrate) and negative control groups were applied in this study. She investigated the acute (14 days) and chronic (13 weeks) skin toxicity of nanosilver.

Elaborating on the results of this study, she said, "Based on the results, we can partly say that caution should be taken in using products containing nanosilver which are in contact with skin. However, a definite answer requires more researches on more dilutions and other aspects of nanosilver toxicity like mutagenicity, cargenocity, teratogenicity, nervous toxicity, etc."

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