Dr. Sam Moore of Hohenstein Institute America will present interim findings from a long term study of the effects of nano silver particles on the environment. The presentation will be made at the joint conference of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) and the Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC) to be held May 20-22, 2012 at Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort in Pawley’s Island, SC.

The conference is titled ‘Sustainability, Innovation & Opportunity in the Textile Industry ‘and Dr. Moore’s presentation ‘Nano Silver Particles, Environmental Impact and Policy’ will be given on May 22. Registration information and details about other presentations can be found on the AATCC website.

Nano silver particles are used in antimicrobial treatments for many kinds of products. When applied to apparel and textiles, these treatments control odours, material degradation, and other detrimental effects microbes can have on fabrics. However, questions have been raised about the environmental impact when these nano silver particles are released from fabrics through washing and every day wear and tear.

Because no definitive information was available to assess the environmental risks, the German Ministry of Education and Research formed a partnership of 16 institutions, businesses, and regulatory authorities to generate the data.

Hohenstein, as a leading textile research and testing institute, was invited to participate. The three-year UMSICHT study launched in May 2010 and is managed by the University of Bremen and Dr. Moore’s presentation will include the latest findings from this study along with an update on the EU’s environmental policies regarding nano silver.

Additional information about the UMSICHT study can be found here.

With global headquarters in Böennigheim, Germany and U.S. offices in Elon, NC, the Hohenstein Institute offers state-of-the-art product development and testing for textile products such as clothing, home textiles, upholstery, protective apparel and equipment, and medical textiles.

It provides materials testing and certification for textile safety, UV protection, antimicrobial effectiveness, FR performance, and many other technical features.

Comparative and competitive product testing services are also available. Hohenstein is also a leading provider of the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, the international standard for safe textiles, and is certified by the U. S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC ID #1058) as a third-party, independent laboratory for CPSIA compliance verification.