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Comment by CWuestefeld | Hacker News Reader

The spray, which is harmless to the environment,

The first thing I think when I read something like that is "how many years until they regret saying that?"

It's just silicon dioxide, same as sand; the innovation here is is to liquefy and suspend it so it can form a layer rather than crystallize (looking at the product datasheets, it has a shelf life and is best within 6 months of manufacture - after which, I presume, it begins to crystallize or the SiO2 molecules begin to fall out of solution.

"Just" silicon dioxide? Ever heard of the irreversible lung disease, silicosis? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis

It's in solution in water or alcohol and applied by spray and evaporation, not airborne as dry particles. I'd guess this risk is quite manageable. Germany isn't exactly a hotbed of environmental abuse.

I'm not worried about what happens at application, but what happens when it breaks down and comes loose from the surface. The former may be in a controlled environment, but the latter may not.

The press releases mention it's available on the consumer level in Germany. Does anyone know the brand name and/or distributor?

Nanopool, it's in the article. I don't think they have a US distributor. I wrote and inquired about it, if I lern anything interesting I'll post it.

I'm going to be in Germany in the summer, I was curious if anyone knew where to purchase it there.

Nanoscale silicon dioxide (like sand) if inhaled can and does cause diseases such as silicosis and bronchitis. There's also an alleged cancer risk. Biomechanically it might be dangerous in the same way that asthbestos is.

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