Evaluation of Metal Content, Metal Release, Cytotoxicity and Antibacterial Efficiency Properties of Antibacterial Socks

Textiles may be exposed to metal contamination during their production, functionalization and storage processes. While some of these metals and metallic compounds cause contamination in the final textile product through fiber production, pre-treatment processes such as boiling and bleaching, dyeing and some finishing processes, some of them which provide specific functional properties to the final textile product (anti-microbial property, self-cleaning property, UV protection feature, electromagnetic wave shielding feature, etc.) cause contamination in the final textile product during the functionalization process. Although a wide variety of antimicrobial substances are used in the production of antibacterial textiles, metal/metallic compounds and nano metal particles are also widely used as antibacterial substances. Studies on antibacterial textiles generally focus on the synthesis of antibacterial material, its application to fabric and its effectiveness against pathogenic microorganisms. However, more studies are needed on the effects of the metal content of antibacterial textile products on the user's skin and health throughout their lifetime. Because textile products are in direct and long-term contact with human skin. In this study, ICP-MS metal content analysis, time-dependent metal release amount analysis, antibacterial activity analysis and cytotoxicity test with cell culture were performed on antibacterial socks and the results were evaluated.