Harvard and MIT researchers did that found exposure to silver nanoparticles, found in clothing, toothpaste, toys and other products, can cause substantial DNA damage. But before I get to your main question, let鈥檚 look at why that news might鈥檝e frightened you.
A nanoparticle is a microscopic particle comparable in size to viruses. 鈥淟ike viruses,鈥 Canadian researchers wrote, 鈥渟ome nanoparticles can penetrate lung or dermal (skin) barriers and enter the circulatory and lymphatic systems of humans and animals, reaching most bodily tissues and organs, and potentially disrupting cellular processes and causing disease.鈥
The is of particular concern because if damaged DNA is not repaired properly, , 鈥渢hen the cell may get the wrong instructions and start to multiply out of control,鈥 which can lead to cancer.
Silver nanoparticles are added to all sorts of products from toys to textiles for their antimicrobial properties. (Bacteria cause the stink in your clothes; antimicrobial agents kill it.) While fixed nanostructured materials, like those found in microchip electronics, are believed to be benign, detachable nanoparticles like those found in some cosmetics and textiles are linked to adverse health effects. Sweat can dislodge nanoparticles in your workout clothes, so they fall into the potentially toxic category, which leads to your question: Can you get a harmful dose of silver nanoparticles from your workout clothes?
Unfortunately, it鈥檚 impossible to give you a straightforward answer, as researchers are still figuring out what constitutes a harmful dose. How you鈥檙e exposed to the nanoparticles also matters, however. In that case, a Swiss study suggests that exposure to silver nanoparticles through workout clothes may warrant less concern than exposure through other products applied directly to the skin, like hand creams, or products that are taken orally, as oral absorption of silver nanoparticles is believed to be much more efficient than absorption through the skin.
Also, the Swiss researchers assumed in their study that all of the silver nanoparticles released into sweat would be deposited on the skin. In real-life conditions, that鈥檚 probably not true. Some loose particles will get stuck on your clothes. And sweat mobilizes the nanoparticles, so if you鈥檙e not sweating much, it鈥檚 likely more nanoparticles will stay in your clothes rather than finding their way onto your skin. Finally, it鈥檚 also possible that the entire surface of your clothes isn鈥檛 always in contact with your body if they scrunch up a bit, thereby reducing your overall exposure.
On the other hand, it鈥檚 possible that the particular brand of workout clothes you wear releases more silver nanoparticles than the clothes tested in the . Currently, there鈥檚 no way to know if the particular material you鈥檙e wearing poses a health risk.
The bottom line: The Swiss researchers suggest that showering immediately after your workout will wash silver nanoparticles from your skin, which may significantly reduce exposure. But if you鈥檙e still worried about it, we have four words for you: go with the stink. The easiest way to limit your exposure to silver is to stop wearing clothes without a clear explanation of where their anti-funk factor comes from.