Nanos and Covid-19

Nanos and Covid-19

By the AVICENN team – Last modification August 2022

Promises of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials in the fight against covid-19

The covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a race against time to find and develop devices for testing, prevention and treatment of the virus. Since the emergence of the pandemic, the scientific and industrial community has been increasingly investing in the use of nanomaterials in the fight against the coronavirus¹See for example:
– Advances and Perspective on Antimicrobial Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Garg P et al., Front. Nanotechnol., 2022
(…)
– Nanotechnology versus Covid-19, Régis Barille, The Conversation, 11 February 2021
– Application of Nanotechnology in the COVID-19 Pandemic, Yang D, Dove Press, 16: 623-649, January 2021
– Pandemic Protection Is Accelerating Investment In Artificial Intelligence And Nanotechnology, Nano, January 2, 2021
– Toward Nanotechnology-Enabled Approaches against the COVID-19 Pandemic, Weiss C et al, ACS Nano, 2020
– Why Go NANO on COVID-19 Pandemic, Talebian S and Conde J, Matter, 2; 3(3): 598-601, 2020
– Nanoscale nights of COVID-19, Kostas Kostarelos, Nature Nanotechnology, April 27, 2020 and comments by Raphaël Lévy (University of Liverpool) on his twitter account
– Can Nanotechnology and Materials Science Help the Fight against SARS-CoV-2?“, Sportelli MC et al, MDPI, 21 April 2020
– COVID-19 Nanotech Product News March-April 2020
– Nano Research for COVID-19, Warren C. W. Chan, ACS Nano, March 31, 2020
– Environmental disinfection for coronavirus BBZIX (silver nanoparticles), Zix, Osmayra, March 17, 2020
– Issue 60, March 2020: Antiviral and antimicrobial nanocoatings; Antiviral face mask products; Latest nanotech products, graphene news and nanomaterials regulations, March 2020NanotechnologySolutions to Mitigate COVID-19: Detection, Protection, Medication, Frontiers.

For example, and without claiming to be exhaustive, we have noted during the first half of 2020 the following applications of nanomaterials aimed at combating covid-19 (under development or already commercialized):

• screening & diagnostic tests²Some examples of (tracks of) tests or screenings involving nanomaterials:
  In French :
  – The L2n, Light, nanomaterials & nanotechnologies laboratory (University of Troyes, CNRS Centre Est) has responded to the COVID Flash call of the French National Research Agency (ANR) through two projects, which aim to work on portable detectors of the COVID19 virus, 4 April 2020
  – […]
  – Nanomaterials biosensor detects Covid antibodies in 10-12 seconds, Futuroprossimo, Jan. 8, 2021
  – Saliva test delivers result in 5 minutes to smartphone, Info Protection, Feb. 16, 2021: “MedTech Grapheal is developing a test that uses polymer graphene to detect the virus in five minutes. The test results arriving directly on the user’s smartphone.”
  In English:
  – Rapid coronavirus test available to ease strain on healthcare systems, Nano Magazine, March 19, 2020
  – Producing iron oxide nanoparticles for 150,000 COVID-19 tests per week, Nanowerk, April 8, 2020
  – The Potential of Various Nanotechnologies for Coronavirus Diagnosis/Treatment Highlighted through a Literature Analysis, Alphandéry E, Bioconjugate Chemistry, 8 July 2020
  – Viral diagnostics and preventive techniques in the era of COVID-19: Role of nanotechnology, D. Chakraborty et al, Frontiers in Nanotechnology, 14 September 2020
  – CoNVat project – Combating 2019-nCoV: Advanced Nanobiosensing platforms for POC global diagnostics and surveillance, project funded by the European Commission for 2.5 million euros, with the participation of the University of Aix-Marseille, 2020-2020
  – […]
  In Catalan
  – A new test of Covid-19 amb nanopartícules of gold created by the URV will be validated in July, Diari de Tarragona, June 2020 (less efficient than… dogs though!³Cf. Salicov study at AP-HP confirms Covid-19 detection technique using dogs’ olfactory abilities, AP-HP, June 2, 2022; in English: Dogs may be better at detecting Covid-19 than nasal PCR tests, study finds, The Guardian, June 2, 2022)
• vaccines⁴Some examples of vaccine (tracks) involving nanomaterials:
  In French :
  –Covid-19: the European Union examines a new German vaccine based on nanoparticles containing Spike protein extracts, France info, 18 August 2022
  – Nanoparticles and Covid-19 vaccines: five questions to sort out the real from the fake In the vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna, the messenger RNA is carried in lipid nanoparticles (fat) that encapsulate it and protect it from destruction once in the body; as for the candidate vaccine developed by Novavax, the spherical lipid nanoparticles are used, not to deliver the RNA, but the antigen so that it reaches the cells that are important for inducing the immune response.
  –COVID: a new vaccine effective against all variants and other coronaviruses, Trust my science, 11 May 2021
  In English:
  – Here’s how nanoparticles could help us get closer to a treatment for covid-19, Roberto Molar Candanosa, Northearstern university, 4 March 2020
  –Nanomedicine and the COVID-19 vaccines, editorial, Nature, 27 November 2020
  –Fast-tracking nanovaccines to fight coronavirus, Laboratory News, September 10, 2020
  –Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Vaccine candidates, StatNano
• antiviral treatments and/or treatments for covid-19 infections⁵See for example:
  In French :
  –COVID-19: Nanotraps for coronavirus, Health Log, April 29, 2021
  – From the nose to the lungs, Agence Science Presse, April 27, 2021
  – Nanomedicines: Therapeutic nucleic acids, from cancer to Covid-19, INSERM, March 22, 2021
  – Coronavirus: engineers design nano-sponges to trap it, Fiorenza Gracci, Science&Vie, 19 June 2020
  – Squalene-based nanoparticles to treat skeptical shock and uncontrolled inflammation, Université Paris-Saclay, April 28, 2020
  – CovidNanoMed project – Development of nanoparticles containing therapeutic candidates against SARS-CoV2 intended for the pulmonary route, led by Bernard Verrier of the UMR LBTI (CNRS-Univ Lyon 1) selected in the framework of the ANR call for Flash Covid-19 projects, April 2020; see also LBTI starts the formulation of promising antiviral drugs against Covid-19 for pulmonary delivery, Laboratory of Tissue Biology and Therapeutic Engineering, April 15, 2020 and IVPC in action against SARS-CoV-2, INRAE, April 28, 2020
  – SARS2BlockEntry project – Construction of nano-ligands to block the entry of SARS-CoV-2, project coordinated by Bernard Delmas (INRAE) selected in the framework of the ANR Flash Covid-19 call for projects, April 2020
  – ACANOV project – Antiviral effect of ApoA1 nanoparticles against Covid-19, project coordinated by Patrick Mavingui (Pimit / CNRS), selected in the framework of the ANR Flash Covid-19 call for projects, April 2020
  – Nanomaterials under investigation to combat human coronavirus infections: the ANR NanoMERS project, ANR, May 11, 2020 and NanoMERS Project: Use of innovative nanoparticles to inhibit coronavirus infections – 2018-2022 (ANR)
  In English:
  – Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Pharmaceuticals, StatNano
  – Nanomaterials and nanotechnology-associated innovations against viral infections with a focus on coronaviruse, Nasrollahzadeh et al, Nanomaterials, 2020
  – Decoy nanoparticles protect against COVID-19 by concurrently adsorbing viruses and inflammatory cytokines, L. Rao, PNAS, September 11, 2020
  – Nanotechnology Responses to COVID-19, E. Ruiz-Hitzky et al, Advanced Healthcare Materials, September 3, 2020 The Potential of Various Nanotechnologies for Coronavirus Diagnosis/Treatment Highlighted through a Literature Analysis, Alphandery E, Bioconjugate Chemistry, July 8, 2020
  – Cellular Nanosponges Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity, Qiangzhe Zhang et al, Nano Letters, 17 June 2020
  – Nanosponges Could Intercept Coronavirus Infection, Ioana Patringenaru, UC San Diego News Center, June 17, 2020
  – Formulations for COVID-19 Treatment via Silver Nanoparticles Inhalation Delivery, Oron Zachar, OSF Preprints, May 15, 2020
  – Application of nanomaterials in treatment, anti-infection and detection of coronaviruses, Ghazal Nikaeen, Sepideh Abbaszadeh, Saeed Yousefinejad, Future Medicine, 7 May 2020
  –Silver Nanoparticles with Bronchodilators Through Nebulisation to Treat COVID 19 Patients, Dr. G. K. K. Subhasish Sarkar, Journal of Current Medical Reasearch, April 22, 2020
• Personal protective equipment with nanoparticle-based coatings – for masks⁶Cf. Prospects for Further Development of Face Masks to Minimize Pandemics – Functionalization of Textile Materials with Biocide Inorganic Nanoparticles: A Review, Yocupicio-Gaxiola RI et al, IEEE Latin America Transactions, 14(8), August 2020
  
  For the use of silver nanoparticles in masks, see in particular:
  – Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Respiratory_Masks, StatNano
  – Know the Health Risks Before Investing in anAntimicrobial Nano-Silver Mask (and What to Buy Instead!), One green planet, November 18, 2020 (USA)
  – Fabric mask “duo nano silver”, made in Vietnam, Oshooz (“German silver technology” + “Japanese nano copper and silver technology to resist various fluids”)
  – Mask in washable antibacterial fabric “99% nano silver ion” / cotton, sold on Print my Design and /ionargent.com (Kevido SAS).
  – Covid-19 washable nano textile mask – “textile with silver nanofibers”, Epicure.online, 2020
  – Masks sold with the mention “nanosilver” sold on the Chinese website Alibaba.com
  – Set of two masks “NANO SILVER” White, produced in Korea according to the site, Ippon Sport, July 2020 (no longer available in October 2020)
  – Antiviral nano-coatings to be upscaled for making triple layer medical masks & N-95 respirator to combat COVID 19Government of India, Department of Science & Technology, April 24, 2020: Under the “Nano Mission” program, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India has approved support for the development of an antiviral nano-coating developed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, which will be used for the high-volume production of N-95 medical masks and respirators in the fight against Covid-19. This nano-coating, which combines silver and zinc nanoparticles, still needs to be tested in the laboratory to validate its effectiveness in real conditions.
  – HEIQ Viroblock NPJ03 antiviral technology tested effective against coronavirus, HeiQ, March 16, 2020 (Switzerland)
  – Silver’s Antimicrobial Properties and the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), IEC Partners (USA), April 4, 2020
  
  In addition to nanosilver, nanoparticles of copper or zinc oxide as well as graphene are also being considered (or even already used) for some masks
  
  See in particular:
  In French :
  – Potentially toxic masks removed from schools and daycares, La Presse (Canada), 26 March 2021
  – CSIC obtains nanomaterial applicable in masks and fabrics that eliminates coronavirus, Marseille News, February 15, 2021 (original article in Spanish here).
  –In Chile, they are betting on copper and its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties to fight against Covid-19, Justine Fontaine, Radio France, January 26, 2021
  –New antibacterial masks with graphene, Mode in Textile, September 2020
  –Protective mask with “nano-zinc oxide”, CardiVasc SAS
  – Mask (“nanomembrane”), Centurion
  – Mask with copper nanoparticles, CMD Diffusion, 2020
  – “Certified nanomaterial antibacterial PROTECTION MASK”, imported from Vietnam, allegedly CE approved, May 2020
  – Coronavirus. Copper, a precious metal to counteract Covid-19Ouest France, April 15, 2020
  – Copper or zinc impregnated fabrics against coronavirus? (copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles), Mode in Textile, April 2020
  – How to make a mask using 3D printing (copper nanocomposites), filament2print, March 20, 2020
  
  In English:
  – Nanotech antimicrobial mask blocks 99.9 per cent of germs and particles, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), 15 June 2021 (copper nanoparticles)
  – Australian innovators create copper face masks, 9 News Australia, 14 May 2021
  – Covid-19 and graphene, a current overview, Graphene Info, December 2020
  – a start-up Nanosafe Solutions Private Limited, NOIDA incubated by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi has made high-end masks that denature the virus using copper nano-particles, (date ?) (video spotted by AVICENN in November 2020)
  – CityU develops anti-bacterial graphene face masks, R. Ye, T. Benzhong, Z. Chunlei, CityU, September 10, 2020
  – Washable nanotech face mask in development to meet demand amid coronavirus pandemic, SCMP, June 2020: “Charles Wang, an advanced material professor from a Beijing-based university, said that theoretically, nanofiber can filter the coronavirus because the material can be seen as mini-sized activated carbon.”
  – Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Respiratory_Masks, StatNano
  – Washable nanotech face mask in development to meet demand amid coronavirus pandemic, SCMP, June 2020: “Charles Wang, an advanced material professor from a Beijing-based university, said that theoretically, nanofiber can filter the coronavirus because the material can be seen as mini-sized activated carbon.”
  – PlanarTECH & IDEATI’s 2AM graphene-enhanced face masks, manufactured in Thailand and distributed in the United States, May 2020
  – Antiviral face mask created by Polish scientists, Poland In, May 4, 2020: “The scientists used particles of nano-silver, zinc oxides and titanium to create the mask. Viruses that reach its surface become inactive and cannot multiply” (see also, in Polish, https://wspieram.to/nanomaska).
  – Promethean Particles Puts Its Nano-Copper To The Test In The Fight Against Viruses (Copper Nanoparticles UK), April 14, 2020
  – Hack the pandemic with nano-copper, Metal Tech News, March 25, 2020
  – Czech company to release face masks that capture and kill coronavirus in April, Expats Cz, March 2020
  – Israeli startup says its nanotech masks and gowns may block coronavirus, The Times of Israel, February 6, 2020 (zinc oxide nanoparticles)
  
  Some masks are just presented as containing “nanomaterials”, without specifying the nano substance:
  – Wakamono Surgical mask, “The World’s first surgical mask applying Nano Biotech to proven effective against 99% SARS-CoV-2 and HUMAN CORONAVIRUS”, Vietnam (page accessed November 2020)
  – Antibacterial protective mask made of certified nanomaterials, Sportamo, gowns or gloves⁷See in particular:
  In French :
  – French made gloves treated with titanium dioxide, Spinali Design, 2020
  In English:
  – Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Medical supplies, StatNano
  – Active silver gloves, Polycat UK : “Lightweight & breathable cotton gloves impregnated both on the inside and outside surfaces with silver nanoparticles to provide an active barrier taking advantage of the protection silver offers against viruses & bacteria. The active silver nanoparticles will work both on your hands and the surfaces the gloves come into contact with. Currently subject to ISO testing for specific effectiveness against the COVID-19 / CORONA virus”..
  – How can nanotechnology help to combat COVID-19? Opportunities and urgent need, E.V.R. Campos et al, Journal of Nanobiotechnology, September 5, 2020
  – Ascertaining the 24 Hours Residual Inactivation Efficacy of the Chemical Composition of Legionella-X Viral Off (Fortified with Silver Nanoparticles) Against Bacteria and Enveloped Viruses (Coronavirus, SARS, MERS and Influenza) After Impregnation of Surgical Masks Using JIS L 1902:2015 Test Method, ResearchGate, March 2020 – and/or made up of a weave based on nanofibers⁸See in particular:
  In French :
  – Nanofiber membranes increase the efficiency of fabric masks, Mode in Textile, October 31, 2020
  – A biodegradable material for filtering masks, Mode in Textile, May 2020
  – Nano-fibers used in the war against covid-19, Eliska Kacerova, Euradio, 24 March 2020
  
  In English:
  – Nanotechnology Solutions to Mitigate COVID-19: Detection, Protection, Medication, Frontiers
  – Iran Leverages Nanotechnology to Launch West Asia’s Largest Face Mask Production Plant, NBIC+, April 19, 2020
  – New Easier-to-Breathe Mask Material Effectively Removes Virus-Sized Nanoparticles, SciTechDaily, April 17, 2020
  – Israeli hospital pilots virus-neutralizing sticker for masks to combat corona, Israel 21 C, April 2, 2020
  – Reusable nano-filtered face mask could relieve COVID-19 supply issues, Nano Magazine, March 18, 2020
  – Czech company to release face masks that capture and kill coronavirus in April, Expats Cz, March 2020
• disinfectants or surface coatings for public places, spaces or equipment⁹Some publications or examples concerning disinfectants or surface coatings (for public places, spaces or equipment) containing (or very likely to contain) nanoparticles:
  
  In French :
  – The use of nanomaterials as disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2, S. Freeman, National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH, Canada), 28 August 2020
  – “Trajet – Aunde has developed revolutionary disinfecting and decontaminating textiles, capable of self-eliminating the viral load, especially that related to coronavirus.”May 20, 2020 – with prospects for use in public transport (among the company’s clients are the SNCF, RATP, etc.), but also in the health, education, tourism, entertainment and event sectors, etc. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is explicitly mentioned in at least one of its products (“IS FRESH – The self-cleaning fabric for permanent purification”, with the following statement: “It is a new representative of nanotechnology for hygiene and health”)
  – Coronavirus. Copper, a precious metal to counteract Covid-19Ouest France, April 15, 2020
  
  In English:
  – Nanostructured Surface Inactivates SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus within Six Hours, StatNano, September 29, 2020
  – Nanomaterial Surface Coatings Could Prevent COVID-19 Spread, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, May 5, 2020
  – Coronavirus cure: Groundbreaking nanoparticles could wipe out COVID-19 infections – claim, Sebastian Kettley, Express, 6 March 2020
  – Nanotechnology Solutions to Mitigate COVID-19: Detection, Protection, Medication, Frontiers (e.g. door handles, bars and ramps in public transportation, etc.)¹⁰See for example:
  – Treatment and purification of indoor air, Preventilife (France) : “Numerous studies on purifiers have taken place in recent years and months to determine their effectiveness against viruses and mainly COVID-19 (sic). (…) BKM’s AHMPP nano-catalyst (…) contains six rare metal catalysts and two special moisturizing agents that rapidly increase the kinetic reaction rate in the air. The photocatalytic activity and thus also the biocidal activity have been significantly improved by reducing the size of the TiO particles from micro to nano. The assembly of nanoscale constituents is characterized by large interface areas (large surface-to-volume ratios) of the order of hundreds or thousands of square meters per cubic centimeter. Reducing the particle size of TiO2 leads to an increase in its surface area, resulting in improved photo-efficiency and, consequently, photocatalytic properties.”.
  – Technology against COVID-19: nano insights into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment – Air Filtration Systems, StatNano
  – Nanotech Filter Coating Offers Promise Against COVID-19, J. Kever, University of Houston, September 29, 2020
• air filtration/purification devices (for which Anses issued a message of vigilance in 2017)¹¹Cf. Indoor air purifiers: effectiveness yet to be demonstrated, Anses, October 2017: “the Agency stresses that the available data do not allow to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety in real conditions of use of indoor air purification devices based on these technologies”.

Some of these “promises” were relayed in the press, and even in certain academic journals, without always being fully substantiated¹²The most extreme example is this “brief”: Chinese scientists have developed a new weapon to combat the coronavirus. They say they have found a nanomaterial that can absorb and deactivate the virus with 96.5-99.9% efficiency, Another example: in Russia, the press reported the development by the Baltic Federal University of innovative protective masks based on silver ions that “have not yet been tested for their ability to resist the new coronavirus, but [dont] there is every reason to believe that the Kaliningrad scientists will also show their effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2” (sic) (cf. Kaliningrad scientists created antiviral masks with silver ions, Planet Today Russia, March 31, 2020).or without necessarily following the classic procedural rules of scientific publications.. This is the case, in particular, of several attempts to promote nano-silver whose effectiveness against covid-19 is scientifically less convincing¹³ Silver nanoparticles have recognized antibacterial properties, but what about their antiviral activity? However, they are already applied for example on masks sold to fight against covid-19. See in particular note 5 above. than their authors’ interest in the matter¹⁴See in particular:
– Comment by Raphaël Lévy, April 22, 2020, in response to Formulations for COVID-19 Early Stage Treatment via Silver Nanoparticles Inhalation Delivery at Home and Hospital, Science Open Preprints, March 28, 2020 (not peer-reviewed)
– Coronavirus: the miracle cures of the American ultra-right in the sights of the authorities – Alex Jones, the American champion of conspiracy theorists, promotes products based on nanosilver, L’Opinion, 10 April 2020.

This does not exclude that nanomaterials can offer effective solutions beyond the laboratory.
However, as for other medical applications, vigilance is required: the toxicity of nanomaterials must not be underestimated and requires appropriate safeguards. The associated health risks and the undesirable effects of their large-scale release into the environment are neither negligible nor systematically assessed. In addition, the questions raised by the recycling or disposal of nano-waste have not been answered to date.

What vigilance in the event of an emergency?

The issues do not arise at the same time and to the same extent for the different nano applications. If the development and control of vaccines or medical treatments necessarily requires a long period of time, the increasing marketing of disinfectants and protective equipment containing nanomaterials (masks or gowns, for example) is more likely to lead to large-scale and short-term exposure of the population and the environment¹⁵See for example:
– Nanoplastics and other harmful pollutants found within disposable face masks, Swansea University, May 2021 (press release)
– An investigation into the leaching of micro and nano particles and chemical pollutants from disposable face masks – linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sullivan GL et al, Water Research, 196, may 2021 (academic publication).

The covid-19 health emergency should not make us forget, or lead us to bypass, all the questions that have long been raised concerning the risks associated with nanoparticles, nanomaterials and nanotechnologies.

In France in particular, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) has been actively communicating on the “nano” subject for a long time¹⁶Cf. Biological evaluation of medical devices containing nanomaterials, Ansm, 2011; since then, Ansm has also produced a report on nanomaterials in drugs and medical devices, which, although expected since 2017, has not been published on its website, only on veillenanos.fr in 2020 (See our page dedicated to nanomedicines). The use of nanomaterials assumes that the expected benefit is significant compared to other solutions, whose toxicity and ecotoxicity are better known. It remains to be seen whether specific surveillance actions are deployed in the current context to protect caregivers, patients and, more broadly, the general population and the environment. As early as 2020, AVICENN started to address this topic with ANSES, ANSM, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the DGCCRF.

In the United States, the government has contacted several companies¹⁷At least two companies were initially called out by the FDA for promoting colloidal silver – containing silver nanoparticles – as a way to fight covid-19: Colloidal Vitality LLC/Vital Silver and N-Ergetics) :
– Coronavirus Update: FDA and FTC Warn Seven Companies Selling Fraudulent Products that Claim to Treat or Prevent COVID-19, March 9, 2020
– F.D.A. Warns 7 Companies to Stop Claiming Silver and Other Products Treat Coronavirus, The New York Times, March 9, 2020 and a famous conspiracy theorist owner of an online sales site to ask them to stop promoting the anti-covid-19 virtues of their products based on, among others, nano-silver¹⁸A few months later, more recalls were issued for yet more nanosilver products:
– Warning Letter to Natural Solutions Foundation, FDA, May 19, 2020 (Nano Silver 10 PPM)
– Warning Letter to Dr. Sherrill Sellman FDA, June 1, 2020 (HealthMax Nano-Silver Liquid).

By virtue of the precautionary principle, research must continue by demonstrating its ability to find (truly) effective solutions but also to control the risks of the projected applications. NGOs and public authorities are not the only ones to call for vigilance and some voices within the scientific community are also trying to do so¹⁹Cf. The impact of nanotechnology in the current universal COVID-19 crisis. Let’s not forget nanosafety!Vanessa Valdiglesias & Blanca Laffon, Nanotoxicology, 14(8) :1013-1016, 2020.

Precautionary principle for nanomaterials in masks

The Covid-19 pandemic has also encouraged the supply of antimicrobial and antiviral nano-coatings, especially for oral masks. During 2020 and 2021, various controversies related to the commercialization of potentially toxic masks have highlighted the need to improve the regulatory framework regarding nanomaterials in oral masks, and to favor a precautionary principle over an ex-post risk management.

Alerts and controversies related to the use of a virucidal coating

Silver and copper zeolites in DIM masks

One of these controversies concerns the DIM brand fabric masks treated with silver zeolites and silver-copper zeolites and distributed to teachers and much of the administrative staff as of May 2020. Reporterre alerted on their potential toxicity which led the Ministry of Labour and Education to suspend the distribution of DIM masks as a precaution. Anses was asked to estimate the potential risks associated with wearing washable fabric masks treated with these two active substances and concluded urgently that “in the real conditions of wearing these treated masks, health risks cannot be excluded“.

Removal of masks containing TiO2 and silver nanoparticles

In Belgium, a similar event took place, when the Belgian government distributed free masks in June 2020 that were later found to be potentially toxic. Indeed, on February 23, 2021, the Belgian press revealed that a report (then confidential but later made public) by the Belgian health institute Sciensano showed that the masks distributed by the government in 2020 contained silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. On the basis of the opinion of the Conseil supérieur de la santé (CSS) and as a precautionary measure, the authorities have recommended²⁰These recommendations remain valid, following the August 26, 2021, release by the HSC of a risk assessment of cloth mouth masks treated with a silver-based biocide, pending the results of further study (ongoing, conducted by Sciensano and VITO). not to distribute or wear them anymore.

Given the increasing commercialization of masks treated with virucidal agents, the Belgium Research Institute Sciensano launched the AgMask project in 2020 to assess the types, efficacy, and health risks of silver-based biocides used in masks²¹Initial results were published in 2021, detailing the use of titanium dioxide and silver nanoparticles in Avrox masks. In early February 2023, researchers from the Belgian research institute Sciensano published in the journal Science of the Total Environment the analyses of a research project initiated in 2020, in which they call for further regulation of biocide application on masks and increased research into potential health and environmental risks. Another publication, released in July 2023, evaluates the release of silver-based biocides and TiO2 particles present in masks..

Removal of masks containing graphene

Silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles are not the only substances used as biocidal coatings. Graphene, for example, attracted interest from some manufacturers for its antiviral properties and has been incorporated into many masks without sufficient evaluation of potential health impacts. The timeline below shows how graphene masks from Chinese manufacturer Shandong Shengquan triggered a cascade of recalls in Canada and Europe.

A regulation that takes time

At the end of 2020, the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) issued a statement concluding that “as the benefit of virucidal/antiviral treatment of masks has not yet been proven and their safety has not been verified by the authorities, the BAuA refrains from recommending the use of such masks”²²Cf. Can we wear nose covers and other virucidal / antiviral masks without hesitation?BAuA, December 1, 2021.

However, in January 2021, in response to the increasing marketing of masks coated with a virucidal treatment, Avicenn, together with twelve other European NGOs, published a letter online²³Cf. Open letter to ECHA, AVICENN, HCWH, HEAL, CIEL, EEB, …, 20 January 2021 requesting clarifications from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the regulatory framework and risk management measures in place at the European level on these issues. ECHA’s response, dated 10 February²⁴Cf. Reply to letter from HCWH Europe, ECHA, 10 February 2021 confirmed that the control of compliance with the Biocides Regulation falls within the responsibility of the Member States and emphasized that only two active substances, used as disinfectants or preservatives, are currently authorized on a nano scale (silver for product types 2, 5 and 9 and silver adsorbed on silicon dioxide for product type 9).

On February 19, 2021, in its online post, the NGO Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) reiterated the findings made earlier: the regulation of articles treated with nano/biocides does not follow the rate of development of new products and does not guarantee their safety²⁵Is the regulation of nano/biocide-treated articles sufficient to protect health and environment? HCWH, February 19, 2021.. NGOs are still seeking clarifications of some confusing regulatory issues and more information on market surveillance by Member States.

This regulation changes on August 24, 2021, when the European Commission decided on the non-approval of silver as a nanomaterial for product types 2, 4 and 9. This decision, disapproving nanosilver as a biocide in fiber, leather, rubber and polymerized materials protection products, follows various controversies of marketing and use of nanosilver in oral masks.

In addition, in a notice to operators published on June 10, 2021, the DGCCRF and ANSM reminded us of a few essential points to consider before placing surgical masks on the market.

Sorting out the true from the false regarding nanoparticles in vaccines and tests

As part of its monitoring of social networks, the association AVICENN has noticed, since the Covid-19 crisis, a very significant increase in concerns and fake news²⁶See for example:
– Overview of tweets with the keywords #nanoparticles and #5G
– Can Covid PCR tests be a way to surreptitiously infect or implant people, Sott, August 20, 2020 → Alexandra Henrion-Caude’s comments about, among other things, nanoparticles are scientifically flawed:
– “Coronavirus : why PCR tests need to go deep inside the nose”, Le Monde, July 9, 2020
– Virus manipulated by humans, danger of masks… (nanoparticles in the swabs of PCR tests) Inserm disassociates itself from one of its ex-researchers, LCI, 5 October 2020
– PCR tests don’t reach “cribriform plaque” and are more effective than salivary tests, AFP, 24 December 2020
– 5G, nanoparticles, Covid-19 “patents”… A viral video multiplies fake news, LCI, August 25, 2020 alerting on the allegedly deliberate use of nanoparticles in vaccines (and in a more limited way, in autumn 2020, in PCR tests), whose “hidden” purpose would be to trace, even enslave or eliminate part of the population (with 5G technology sometimes invoked as a tool for remote activation).

How can you tell the real from the fake? If some fact-checking efforts are made²⁷See for example:
– Do we really find nanoparticles in Pfizer’s vaccine? Thomas Deszpot, LCI, February 17, 2021: “Some Internet users point out that Pfizer’s vaccines contain nanoparticles, which would give reason to whistleblowers accused of conspiracy. If their presence is real, their role is totally misunderstood.
– Covid-19: Can vaccines change DNA? Can nanoparticles in the vaccine be used to “track” citizens via 5G?Bruno Pitard, CNRS research director and Inserm researcher at the Nantes-Angers immunology research center, France Culture, January 20, 2021
– Conspiracy theories: could it be possible to embed nano-chips in a vaccine, Trust my science, 20 January 2021
– RNA vaccines contain dangerous nanoparticles? FakeLe Détecteur de rumeurs, Science Presse (Canada), December 29, 2020 and
– Nanoparticles and vaccines against Covid-19: five questions to disentangle the true from the false, Assma Maad, Le Monde, 11 December 2020; to be completed by reading the following article: Pfizer’s COVID vaccine contains a compound that may be responsible for rare allergic reactions, Trust my science, December 30, 2020 (see article in English: Suspicions grow that nanoparticles in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trigger rare allergic reactions, Jop de Vrieze, Science, December 21, 2020)
– PCR tests don’t reach “cribriform plaque” and are more effective than salivary tests, AFP, 24 December 2020
– Nanotechnologies at the heart of the conspiracy – Why the nanoparticle has found its way into all the conspiracies, Xavier de La Porte, Podcast Le Code a changé, France Inter, 8 December 2020
– Will a tracking device (nanoparticles) be present in any of the new vaccines, Quora, November – December 2020
– Virus manipulated by humans, danger of masks… (nanoparticles in the swabs of PCR tests) Inserm disassociates itself from one of its ex-researchers, LCI, 5 October 2020
– Covid-19 and conspiracy Arte, September 8, 2020
– 5G, nanoparticles, Covid-19 “patents”… A viral video multiplies fake news, LCI, August 25, 2020
– COVID-19 and 5G: researchers show how this fake news spread around the world, RTBF, August 9, 2020
– Coronavirus : why PCR tests need to go to the bottom of the nose, Le Monde, July 9, 2020
– 5G waves responsible for Covid-19 pandemic, really? Canal Détox, INSERM, April 15, 2020
– Are vaccines ‘contaminated with toxic nanoparticles’, Le Monde, 19 July 2017 and are necessary²⁸See in particular:
– When mistrust supplants science, Jean-Philippe Dubrulle, Fondation Jean Jaurès, 1 February 2021
– Hearing of Messrs. Patrick Berche, Alain Fischer and Patrick Netter, members of the French National Academy of Medicine, on vaccines against covid-19, by Mr. Cédric Villani, MP, President of the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological OptionsOPECST, November 19, 2020, are these efforts having the required impact²⁹See Fact-checking – Contested effectiveness, Wikipedia? In any case, the lipidic nanoparticles present in the vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna and Novavax in particular have the sole function of encapsulating and protecting the messenger RNA or carrying the antigen to the cells.

That being said, there is still a real need for a response from the health authorities concerning the older and more legitimate questions about the presence and safety of nanoparticles – mainly metal – potentially present in some other “classic” vaccines by non-voluntary contamination or in vaccines under development (with or without a link to covid-19). The inability to inform and communicate about the issues surrounding a new and complex technology can fuel suspicions and fantasies.

In July 2021, another rumor, widely shared on social networks, claimed that graphene would be present in the Pfizer vaccine. After examination, it turns out that it is not based on any serious fact³⁰See in particular:
In French :
– Covid-19 vaccine: Beware, these videos do not show “graphene”, France 24, 3 August 2021
– Vaccination: no, “Spanish researchers” have not shown that Pfizer “contains an unknown product”, LCI, July 8, 2021Disinfox Covid-19: no, no study proves that Pfizer vaccine contains graphene, Le Progrès, July 15, 2021
In English:
– Fact-checking – Pfizer vaccine does not contain graphene oxide, Associated Press, July 8, 2021. .

To be continued…