Silver Nanoparticles (nano-Ag)CAS 7440-22-4
Nano-engineered silver in "antibacterial" plastics, fabrics, and paints — persistent environmental release plus unknown chronic-exposure data.
Toxic Chemical Databases
Substance-specific listings — these flags are for Silver Nanoparticles alone, not for the broader family.
Chemical Type
Antimicrobial Heavy Metal — Nanoscale
Chemical Description
Silver has been antimicrobial since antiquity. The nanotechnology twist is that silver particles smaller than ~100 nm have surface-area-to-volume ratios orders of magnitude higher than bulk silver, releasing antimicrobial silver ions far more aggressively. Used in "antibacterial" plastic cutting boards, antimicrobial-marketed textile coatings, refrigerator linings, HVAC filter media, and increasingly carpet and paint additives. Open questions: chronic human-dose toxicology at low exposure, environmental release into wastewater (silver is highly toxic to aquatic life), antimicrobial-resistance selection pressure, and gut microbiome effects in infants from treated household products.
Biological Activity
Severity scores specific to this substance, NOT the parent family average. Differences between siblings are real and meaningful.
Top Health Consequences
- Persistent silver-ion release into wastewater and soil
- Antimicrobial-resistance selection pressure on environmental microbes
- Gut microbiome disruption signals in animal studies
- Unknown chronic human-health data at low chronic doses
- Documented aquatic ecotoxicity at parts-per-billion concentrations
Pathways of Exposure
- Hand-to-mouth contact with treated cutting boards and shelving
- Inhalation of dust from antimicrobial textile coatings
- Drinking water contamination from washing treated fabrics
- Skin contact with antimicrobial-treated bedding and clothing
Building Materials with Silver Nanoparticles
Listed alphabetically — product categories where this specific substance appears.
Antibacterial Carpet Treatments
Antibacterial Paint Additives
Antimicrobial Plastic Linings & Shelving
Antimicrobial-Marketed Textiles
HVAC Filter Media