Silver Nanoparticle Release in Textile Products

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely incorporated into textile products to impart durable antimicrobial properties, finding use in medical garments, sportswear and face coverings. During routine use and laundering, AgNPs can detach or dissolve, leading to their release into wash water, sweat simulants and environmental waters. This release depends on nanoparticle size, surface coating, attachment method and the physicochemical conditions encountered (for example pH, ionic strength and presence of detergents). Over time, ageing of the textile matrix can weaken the binding of AgNPs, accelerating detachment and oxidative dissolution, and thereby altering both particle form and ionic silver concentrations. Understanding these processes is critical for assessing potential human exposure via skin contact or inhalation, and for evaluating environmental impacts on aquatic organisms and wastewater treatment systems. Advances in nanoscale characterisation and lifecycle simulation have provided new insights into release mechanisms, guiding safer textile design and informing emerging regulatory frameworks.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have quantified silver release from antimicrobial face masks and functional textiles under realistic use conditions. In investigations of commercially available cloth masks, exposure to water, laundry detergents and artificial saliva revealed highly variable metal leaching, with some masks releasing virtually all contained silver within one hour, highlighting the need for product-specific evaluation of exposure pathways. In complementary work on AgNP-functionalised textiles, assessment across multiple media—tap, pond and rain water, artificial sweat and detergent solution—demonstrated that natural ageing of fibres markedly increases silver release, by up to nearly fourfold in some scenarios. Morphological analyses showed that ageing disrupts nanoparticle–fibre interactions, promoting nanoparticle detachment and dissolution. These findings emphasise the dynamic nature of AgNP retention in textiles throughout their lifecycle and underline the importance of simulating real-world conditions.

Silver Nanoparticle Release in Textile Products publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in silver nanoparticle release in textile products across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Silver nanoparticle (AgNP): A particle of metallic silver with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm, often used for its antimicrobial activity.

Leaching: The release of chemicals or particles from a solid matrix into a contacting liquid phase.

Natural ageing: The physical and chemical degradation of textile fibres and coatings over time due to environmental exposure.

Artificial sweat: A laboratory-prepared solution that mimics the composition and pH of human perspiration for testing skin contact scenarios.

Antimicrobial textile: A fabric treated or engineered to inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi or other microorganisms.

References

1. Metal leaching from antimicrobial cloth face masks intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. Scientific Reports (2021).
2. Natural ageing process accelerates the release of Ag from functional textile in various exposure scenarios. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Determination of silver nanoparticle release from antibacterial fabrics into artificial sweat. Particle and Fibre Toxicology (2010).
4. Morphological Transformation of Silver Nanoparticles from Commercial Products: Modeling from Product Incorporation, Weathering through Use Scenarios, and Leaching into Wastewater. Nanomaterials (2019).