Nanosilver Paint Promise To Banish Mold And Wipe Out Superbugs like MRSA and Ecoli

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Check out this great article about a similar product in Entreprenuer:

Warm, wet European summers offer the perfect growing conditions for fungi. Species such as Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and/or Ascomycota, responsible for mould and mildew growth, may be thriving in up to a fifth of Europe’s houses, according to a 2006 study by the Federal Statistical Office in Germany. New as well as old buildings are affected, with nearly a tenth of German apartments estimated to have mould and mildew growing in them.

The growth of these microscopic mould fungi is not just unsightly, but may also be partly to blame for the increasing numbers of cases asthma, rhinitis and other allergies, health experts warn.

‘The risk of mould growth depends on the influence of factors, such as organic material, temperature, humidity and ventilation,’ says Helmut Schmid, head of nanotechnology at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany. ‘In old buildings the cause is often moisture caused by defects in the construction of the foundation; in modern buildings the same problem arises because better thermal insulation often leads to a lower air exchange.’

Traditional anti-mould paints, which contain isothiazolinone compounds (Structure I), are effective in tackling the problem. But they often stop working after a couple of years and bring with them their own associated health risks, as sensitisers and contact allergens.

New nanoparticle-containing paints do the job just as effectively, Schmid says, but last ‘indefinitely’ for as long as the paint layer remains clean and intact. The paints, which contain tiny quantities of nanosilver particles, exert their lethal effects by reacting with proteins in the outer membranes of microorganisms, he explains, so rendering them incapable of carrying out their normal activities and swiftly leading to cell death. And because of the way they are formulated they should be safer than existing anti-mould paints.

The result of a five-year collaborative effort by coatings company Bioni and Fraunhofer Institute researchers, Bioni nano-paints have already been on the marketplace for several months. Earlier this year, Bioni Hygienic paint, which is currently applied in several hospitals, was singled out for a Frost Sullivan European award for excellence in research.

‘This innovative coating is set to have a profound impact on the medical sector,’ says Frost & Sullivan senior research analyst Archana Jayarajah. ‘In principle it not only permanently prevents the formation of mould and fungal growth on walls, but also reduces germs that are resistant to antibiotics in hospitals.’

Tests have shown, for example, that when brought into contact with the Bioni Hygienic coating, there is a 99.999% reduction in the dangerous hospital superbugs Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium.

‘It is known since antiquity that silver has antimicrobial effects,’ Schmid says. ‘The difficulty was to produce and stabilise it in the nano-form and do the product integration.’

While silver particles themselves are toxic, silver nanoparticles have a much greater surface area and so can be used in only tiny quantities, which should make the technology much safer. Bioni Hygienic and Bioni Nature paints, for example, are also expected to find use in children’s bedrooms, bathrooms and care homes for elderly or disabled patients.

Making a paint including nanoparticle silver poses huge technical challenges, Jayarajah points out. As well as manufacturing the particles at roughly uniform 13nm diameter sizes, the researchers had to find a way of preventing them from clumping together and precipitating in the final paint formulation. ‘The researchers were able to address these problems by stabilising the nanoparticles with additives and quickly integrating them in a polymer system, which also serves to facilitate a homogeneous distribution of the particles,’ Jayarajah says.

Importantly, trapping the particles in a polymer matrix also prevents them from escaping from the final paint. Particles embedded in the polymer are held tight and unable to break free, a fact confirmed experimentally by atom emission spectroscopy, Schmid points out. The TUV Produkt und Umwelt, a test institute in Cologne, Germany, has awarded the coatings its TUV Rheinland Signet for emission free coatings, confirming that they are non-toxic and won’t cause cancer, deformities or mutations.

Used as an outside coating, meanwhile, Bioni’s nanosilver technology is also claimed to reduce air conditioning bills. Due to their expanded surface area, nano-silver particles reflect 93% of incident sunlight. This property, together with the ‘significantly lower thermal conductivity’ of the paints compared with conventional ones, makes them useful for keeping indoor temperatures down in hot weather conditions, Bioni says.

Bioni Perform coating, marketed for building exteriors, is available for roofs and facades. Designed to protect against weather extremes including heat, UV radiation, moisture and salty air, it is also claimed to reduce the cost of maintenance and repair.

Horses stables are another area where Bioni’s nanosilver paints are being applied. Painting the wood and walls of the stables with Bioni Nature kills the fungal spores that are a risk factor for COPD in horses, a condition not unlike human asthma, and which cuts short the career of many racehorses. In tests of Bioni Nature against Aspergillus niger, the benchmark of all anti-fungus coatings, the paint is reported to destroy all of the spores present.

But while applications for nanosilver generally are burgeoning–from odour-free socks to medical devices and air conditioning systems–experts worry about the potential environmental consequences. They warn that the release of silver particles into aquatic systems could disrupt the ecosystem by endangering bacteria that live in lakes and streams. Further growth of the technology, Jayarajah cautions, ‘will largely depend on how the industry handles health and safety concerns,’ pointing out the lack of data on these issues and the absence of stringent regulations on the use of the particles.

At Bioni, researchers are more optimistic. ‘Bioni Hygienic is meeting the highest hygiene requirements and standards for paints and coatings, says Harry Stulajiter, director of Nanovations in Sydney, the Australian partner of the global Bioni network. ‘The nano-silver in the size of 13nm is embedded in a formulated structure that prevents it from congregating into larger agglomerates. The process also binds the particles permanently to the paint. That’s essential from a toxicological point of view, and eliminates any effect to human health from manufacturing to the application.’

New products based on the technology are already in the pipeline and include coatings for dental implants, synthetic bones, catheters, cardiac valves and packaging for foodstuffs and toys. A wallpaper containing the nanosilver particles is expected to be launched any time now. ‘Our next products will come to market in September [next month],’ Helmut promises.

Nanotechnology-based paints are growing rapidly, and in 2004 accounted for 5% of the total market for paints and coatings, according to Frost & Sullivan figures. Sales of nanomaterials in this sector are projected to rise from $ 8m in 2004 to $ 2749 by 2015. At least 86% of automotive paints are expected to incorporate some form of nanotechnology in their product portfolio by 2015.

In Brief

• Mould and mildew may be a problem in up to a fifth of European homes
• Current anti-mould paints could pose a health risk and are short-acting
• Nanosilver-containing paints prevent mould permanently
• They could also help to destroy bacteria including MRSA

[via Entrepreneur] byCath O’Driscoll