Stuart Corner
Thursday, 14 December 2006 12:50
Your IT -
Mobility
Page 1 of 2
NOTE: this article replaces an earlier story which was incorrect.
Moves by the city of Berkeley and the US Environmental Protection Agency could put a stop to the use of nanotechnology microscopic particles of silver to kill off bugs in a wide variety of consumer products.
The Berkeley City Council has been in the news as the first city in the US to amend its hazardous materials law to compel researchers and manufacturers to report the nanotechnology materials they are working with and how they are being handled.
However the US Environmental Protection Agency is also worried about nanoparticles. According to a report in the Washington Post, the EPA has decided to regulate a large class of consumer items made with microscopic nanoparticles of silver. The report said the decision would affect the marketing of high-tech odour-destroying shoe liners, food-storage containers, air fresheners, washing machines and a wide range of other products that contain tiny bacteria-killing particles of silver.
Under the new EPA determination any company wishing to sell a product that it claims will kill germs by the release of nanotech silver or related technology will first have to provide scientific evidence that the product does not pose an environmental risk, the Washington Post said.
The Washington Post report quoted Jim Jones, director of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, saying that the final rules on the use of these materials would be set out in the Federal Register sometime in the next few months.
Motorola recently launched two new phones for use with its iDEN technology, the i835 and i880. Both use a silver-based antimicrobial material developed by AgION Technologies, incorporated into the coating that "protects the phones by inhibiting the growth of micro organisms such as mould and mildew to help resist odour." However, Motorola says these are not affected by the EPA's concerns because the silver is in a different form. Motorola said it was "the first and only manufacturer to offer mobile devices that feature AgION's antimicrobial technology for product protection.
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