It is a treatment based on the application of silver ions in the fabric, thereby lengthening its duration, in addition to inhibiting bacterial and fungal proliferation. So, clothing is more hygienic and odor free. Another advantage is that the clothes can be used for longer without washing, and treatment remains effec- tive throughout the life of the garment. Polygiene is active only on the surface of the fabric, and does not interfere with the natural bacterial flora of the skin.Treat- ment particles, 100 times larger than the nano-silver particles, are too large to pass through the skin (safety) and can be used even in contact with open wounds, eczema or other skin con- ditions (www.polygiene.com). Silpure This antimicrobial treatment is “totally durable”, according to its manufacturer, and easily applicable in all types of fabrics. Sil- pure developers claim that “it surpasses all traditional antimi- crobial treatments associated with silver, used today in the textile articles”.The sum of its virtues include the prolongation of garments life due to inhibition of bacterial growth, physically attacking the fabric structure; it is also reduced the possibility of staining or discoloration of the fabrics, with excellent was- hing results of clothing, and finally, it stands out the perma- nence of the antibacterial protection, immutable after dozens of washes by machine, even in complex treatment fabrics such as polyester (see www.silpure.com). (www.agactive.co.uk), which are characterized by billions of sil- ver nano-particles, and allow to maintain a greater freshness on the feet longer. Based on this principle, the company NanoHorizons (www.na- nohorizons.com) has recently launched wool products with sil- ver nano-particles, which require less care than traditional wool fabrics, thereby increasing the useful life of these socks, requiring less frequent washing, thus saving energy. Sportswear, wool blends, etc. Silver salt based finishing ideal to combat bad odor caused by the decomposition of sweat (www.schoeller-tech.com). *Manuel Domene. Journalist. An example of application of silver nano-particles in sports- wear are the socks produced by the company AgActive Active Silver Reports and Surveys 71 Con tratamiento o sin él, la ropa laboral debe ser compatible con la hi- giene y la buena imagen del trabajador. (Foto gentileza de Juba) With or without treatment, the workwear must be compatible with the hygiene and good image of workers (Photo courtesy of Juba) Polygiene Keeping bactericidal and bacteriosta- tic zeal under control We must control our skin bacteria, which in no way means that they must be removed completely. “In the skin of people inhabits a large colony of fungi and bacteria that are a rich and diverse mi- crobial ecosystem, with an essential role in balan- cing the body”, says Dr. Jean Freney, microbiologist at the hospital Edouard-Herriot, Lyon (France). Our colony of germs makes skin natural barrier against external microbial incursions and prevents the binding of pathogenic bacteria.Therefore, the indiscriminate killing of these microorganisms has unintended consequences, increasing the risk of in- fection. To keep unaltered the ecosystem of the skin, ma- nufacturers of antibacterial fabrics have to take care of the balance: the products must be effective, but with high selective ability to avoid damaging the delicate organic balance of our skin natural flora.The mission is complex, since the germicides or biocidal products must be sensitive to the skin and severe with the ‘detritus’ of risk areas such as armpits and feet, which may have up to ten million bacteria per square centimetre. The aforementioned micro-biologist also states that should be avoided, if possible, direct contact of antibacterial product with skin, because there are still no precise rules regarding the production of antibacterial fabrics. JOBWEAR 61 2o TRIMESTRE 2012