奈米銀產品有害環境 民眾要求美國環保署禁售
摘譯自2008年5月2日ENS美國，華府報導；游珮綺編譯；蔡麗伶、莫聞審校
一個由消費者團體、健康團體及環境團體所組成的聯盟5月1日向美國環保署提出請願，訴請環保署行使職權，禁售260多種使用奈米銀的消費產品──他們認為奈米銀算是殺蟲劑，需要管制。民間的請願，對環保署來說是首次面對關於奈米材料管制的法律難題。所謂的奈米材料是由微粒子所組成的，一奈米等於十億分之一米；而奈米科技即是在接近原子或分子尺度下，對自然物質進行分解、重建的應用科學。
越來越多的製造廠商投入生產奈米銀的消費性產品，因為他們相信奈米銀具有強大的殺菌力，因此也使得奈米銀成為目前最普遍的商業化奈米材料。
提出上述請願的聯盟是由非營利組織「技術評估國際中心」（International Center for Technology Assessment, CTA）所領導，其總部位於美國華盛頓，並自稱為是奈米技術的看守員。
目前，CTA已經發現了超過260種市面上所販售的奈米銀產品，如家用器具和清潔劑、衣服、餐具、兒童玩具、個人護理用品以及電子塗料等。
然而，正如聯盟的請願案所聲明的，奈米銀的應用可能破壞自然環境，並且「對人體健康產生不良影響」。
CTA律師金柏利（George Kimbrell）表示：「這些奈米銀產品，可算是非法販售的殺蟲劑，一旦奈米銀滲入環境當中會對魚類、其他水生物種和有益微生物（beneficial microorganisms）產生毒性反應。因此，環保署必須停止並避免這些問題，同時運用公權力履行其法律責任。」
聯盟也進一步指出，就是因為這些奈米粒子不管在體積大小或化學特性都具有獨一而二的特性，其粒子極微小，表面面積大幅提升且反應力高，因此可能對人類健康和環境產生獨特且無法預測的危機。
我們都知道銀對魚類和水生有機體是有毒性的，然而最近的科學研究更指出，將銀奈米化之後，其毒性會更強，而且會造成新的傷害，不管是使用中、丟棄後都產生危害。
EPA Petitioned to Stop Sale of 260 Products Containing Nano-Silver
WASHINGTON, DC, May 2, 2008 (ENS)
A coalition of consumer, health, and environmental groups Thursday filed a legal petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, demanding that the agency use its authority to regulate pesticides to stop the sale of more than 260 consumer products using nanosized versions of silver.
The legal action is the first challenge to EPA's failure to regulate nanomaterials, which are made up of microscopic particles. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology encompasses techniques for taking apart and reconstructing natural substances such as silver at the atomic and molecular level.
Increasingly manufacturers are infusing consumer products with nanoparticle silver for what they believe to be its enhanced germ killing abilities. Nanosilver is now the most common commercialized nanomaterial.
The coalition is led by the nonprofit International Center for Technology Assessment, CTA, based in Washington, DC, a self-described nanotech watchdog.
The CTA found over 260 nano-silver products currently on the market such as household appliances and cleaners, clothing, cutlery, and children's toys, personal care products and coated electronics.
Yet as the coalition's legal petition states, the release of nano-silver may be destructive to natural environments and "raises serious human health concerns
"These nano-silver products now being illegally sold are pesticides," said George Kimbrell, CTA staff attorney. "Nano-silver is leaching into the environment, where it will have toxic effects on fish, other aquatic species and beneficial microorganisms. EPA must stop avoiding this problem and use its legal authority to fulfill its statutory duties."
Just as the size and chemical characteristics of manufactured nanoparticles can give them unique properties, those same new properties - tiny size, vastly increased surface area to volume ratio, high reactivity - can create unique and unpredictable human health and environmental risks, the coalition says.
While silver is known to be toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, recent scientific studies have shown that the nano form of silver is much more toxic and can cause damage in new ways. Exposures are occurring both during use and during disposal.
The legal action is the first challenge to EPA's failure to regulate nanomaterials, which are made up of microscopic particles. One nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology encompasses techniques for taking apart and reconstructing natural substances such as silver at the atomic and molecular level.
Increasingly manufacturers are infusing consumer products with nanoparticle silver for what they believe to be its enhanced germ killing abilities. Nanosilver is now the most common commercialized nanomaterial.
The coalition is led by the nonprofit International Center for Technology Assessment, CTA, based in Washington, DC, a self-described nanotech watchdog.
The CTA found over 260 nano-silver products currently on the market such as household appliances and cleaners, clothing, cutlery, and children's toys, personal care products and coated electronics.
Yet as the coalition's legal petition states, the release of nano-silver may be destructive to natural environments and "raises serious human health concerns
"These nano-silver products now being illegally sold are pesticides," said George Kimbrell, CTA staff attorney. "Nano-silver is leaching into the environment, where it will have toxic effects on fish, other aquatic species and beneficial microorganisms. EPA must stop avoiding this problem and use its legal authority to fulfill its statutory duties."
Just as the size and chemical characteristics of manufactured nanoparticles can give them unique properties, those same new properties - tiny size, vastly increased surface area to volume ratio, high reactivity - can create unique and unpredictable human health and environmental risks, the coalition says.
While silver is known to be toxic to fish and aquatic organisms, recent scientific studies have shown that the nano form of silver is much more toxic and can cause damage in new ways. Exposures are occurring both during use and during disposal.
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| 何 謂 奈 米 銀 !? |
| 銀具有公認的抗菌效果﹐一般而言﹐一種抗生素大致可殺死6種不同的抗生體﹐但是銀卻可殺死 600多種細菌﹐再加上銀是不具毒性的物質﹐所以銀的使用範圍相當廣且歷史悠久。 透過高科技奈米技術的方式﹐使銀粒子活性變大﹐抗菌功能增強﹐對居家環境及個人衛生的品質提昇。 銀的奈米級細微顆粒以及奈米銀所釋放的銀離子水溶液﹐都具有顯著的殺菌效果﹐奈米銀在多倍稀釋的情況下﹐對於大腸桿菌﹑金黃色葡萄求菌﹑沙門氏桿菌及綠膿桿菌等﹐均有99.99%的抑制功效﹐其主因為銀本身具有的生物作用。 活性銀離子能吸引細菌體內 酉每 蛋白上的硫氫基﹐迅速地結合在一起﹐並使含硫氫基之酵素失去活性﹐使細菌死亡。當細菌被銀離子殺死後﹐銀離子又會從死去的細菌上游離出來﹐再持續對活細菌做重複的動作﹐直至所有細菌被消滅﹐由此可知﹐奈米銀的功效是屬於長效型抗菌劑。 奈米銀的功效方面： 一﹑抗菌、除臭：利用多重的抗菌機制﹐有效抗菌﹐且不具抗藥性﹐具長效型功能。 二﹑淨 水：以活性碳纖布為載體﹐可取代氯成為全新的淨水材質。 三﹑防 腐：抑制黴菌生長﹐有效達到防腐功能。 四﹑醫 療：治療疾病﹑抗炎﹑促進傷口癒合。 奈米銀應用範圍： 一﹑淨水濾材 二﹑抗菌塗料 三﹑衛生用品系列 四﹑抗菌纖維布系列 五﹑各類清潔劑系列 六﹑新型抗菌敷劑系列 Uniate奈米銀光觸媒 : 主要成分為奈米級Ag粒子及矽盾型TIO2粒子以光分解機制﹐藉由紫外光或太陽光激發光觸媒﹐使觸媒產生電子及電洞（將氧及水分激發成負氧基及氫氧自由 基）﹐來氧化表面吸附之有害物質﹐進而將表面吸附之有害物質裂解為微分子。讓O3﹑負離子﹐氫氧自由基具有更強的氧化能力。脫臭能力與吸附能力比活性碳更 強﹐而且具有活性碳所沒有的分解細菌之功能。 |
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