The Williamson County Health Department has canceled free mask distribution until further notice.
Note: This does not affect COVID-19 testing. Free COVID-19 testing will continue at the Agricultural Center (4215 Long Lane) Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM.
The mask distribution cancelation comes after News Channel 5 broke the story that the free masks, distributed to health departments across the state, are treated with Silvadur, a substance that is registered as a pesticide.
Via Facebook, the Nolensville Police Department posted on May 30, “We have been informed the masks are being investigated to make sure there are no health risks associated with its use. Tonight, Williamson County officials told this office they are waiting on direction from the state.”
In early May, Governor Lee announced that the Unified Command Group had partnered with Renfro Corp, a global sock brand company, to make cloth face masks that would be available to Tennesseeans free of charge. News Channel 5 reports the State purchased 5 million masks for $8.2 million.
Silvadur is a DuPont product. As described on the DuPont website, the Silvadur “antimicrobial technology is a polymer-containing silver-technology that delivers silver ions when organisms land or form on a treated fabric. These ions continually release to safely kill microbes that cause odor and material degradation.” DuPont’s website also states that Silvadur is safe to apply to woven and non-woven fabrics, such as apparel, footwear, innerwear, socks, legwear, denim and carpeting.
However, as News Channel 5 reports, Silvadur is registered as a pesticide by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is “harmful if inhaled.”
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