Exposure assessment and risks associated with wearing silver nanoparticle-coated textiles

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials science
• Toxicology
• Textile engineering

Background:

• Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly incorporated into consumer and healthcare textiles for their antimicrobial properties.
• Textile wear can lead to AgNP release, resulting in dermal exposure.
• Established derived-no-effect limits suggest that even low AgNP exposure levels may pose a relevant risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate AgNP release from textiles under simulated wear conditions (artificial sweat and mechanical stress).
• To quantify potential dermal exposure and intake via percutaneous absorption and inadvertent oral contact.
• To assess the human health risk associated with AgNP exposure from various textile products.

Main Methods:

• AgNP release was studied using artificial sweat immersion and mechanical stress.
• A mass balance model calculated dermal exposure and intake.
• Mass flow analysis considered wear times up to 8 hours and different skin types (fresh, cryopreserved, glycerolized).

Main Results:

• Dermal intake risk characterization ratios (RCRs) for 8-hour wear varied: up to 0.02 for face masks and 0.9 for full body suits under worst-case conditions.
• A scenario involving glove wear and subsequent fingertip mouthing resulted in a low RCR of 0.0002.
• RCRs were influenced by textile product type, wear duration, and skin characteristics.

Conclusions:

• This study offers a comprehensive assessment of AgNP release from textiles and its implications for human dermal exposure.
• Understanding these release dynamics is crucial for evaluating safety and mitigating risks in various exposure scenarios.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering product-specific and user-related factors in AgNP safety assessments.