Go figure? It turns out that ‘Magic Nano,’ the protective glass and bathroom sealant that was recalled in late March in Germany after causing severe breathing problems for some consumers, did not contain any nanoparticles. That’s according to Rene Zimmer of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin, quoted in an article in small times .
According to the article, not only were there no nanoparticles in Magic Nano, but it appears that it didn’t even include the active ingredients it was supposed to contain. It was supposed to have molecules that contain silicon that, once sprayed on surfaces, generate an oil and water repelling “nanothin” layer of silicon dioxide. But according to Zimmer, the analysis did not find much silicon in ‘Magic Nano.’ For the most part the spray contained solvents.
Apart from raising the obvious questions about the honesty of the company’s representations of their product, it also raises an interesting question over whether ‘nano’ branding is a positive or a negative
It seems that at least for now, companies see the ‘nano’ label as a marketing boon – although it’s not clear whether this will continue as evidence of nanotoxicology continues to mount.
The earlier story reporting on the recall of ‘magic nano’ can be found here.
