Advanced sanitation products infused with silver nanoparticles for viral protection and their ecological and environmental consequences

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus ailments (COVID-19) in 2019 resulted in public health crisis leading to global pandemonium. In response to the high prevalence of disease transmission, governments all around the globe implemented emergency measures in various routes (e.g., social distancing, personal hygiene, and disinfection of public/private places) to curb/contain COVID-19 infections. The social media infodemic, released as uncensored publishing and/or views/recommendations, also triggered large-scale behavior changes such as the overuse of advanced sanitation products (ASPs) containing nanomaterials. The majority of these ASPs contain silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an active ingredient to enhance their antimicrobial potential. Ecotoxicological concerns such as the transformation and degradation of these AgNP-infused products in terrestrial or aquatic environments are under the jurisdiction of the EPA. However, they are not considered in the FDA approval process. In light of excessive consumption of ASPs, it is time to consider their ecotoxicological screening prior to market approval jointly by the FDA and EPA, along with the implementation of post-market surveillance strategies. At the same time, efforts should be put into running awareness programs to prevent the overuse of ASPs.