Question:
I see a number of companies promoting silver in various formsfor drinking water purification, swimming pools etc.

Some claim it can replace Chlorine ?

Does anyone have some comments about the use of Silver Ionsin solution as a bacteriastat ?

What is a safe level of silver ions for drinking water ?

What are the long-term environmental effects of the use of silverfor these purposes ?

Answer: In some countries, people eat "metallic silver coated candies" and theybelieve it is good for the body though there is no scientific study.But, people are eating silver coated candies for centuries, seems likeno healt complications. I do not know what happens when silver is incomplex form.

Chlorine and hypochlorite are much more powerful and reactive oxidantsthan Ag(I). And chlorine radicals are almost certainly *much* moredamaging to cells than are Ag(I) ions. And don't even get me started onO2!

As with anything, this sort of statement has to be weighed againstbenefits.

Silver is highly toxic to wastewater treatment plant bacteria. It'salso worth reclaiming from most effluents, so very little usually makes itinto the sewers. Nevertheless occassionally it has 'knocked out'treatment plants when let into the sewer. Toxicity levels are in theparts per billion range. For humans, I'm less sure of my information. I suspect it would betoxic, though at what level I don't know. BASICALLY, DON'T EAT IT. WhatI remember is that silver chloride is infrequently used as a joke bychemistry students (a very expensive chemical to use as a joke). Whensmeared on someone's arm, it will initially not show. After a couplehours the silver oxidizes (now AgO) forming a black stain on the arm, thatcannot be washed off. You have to wait for the stained skin cells to dieand slough off, which can take weeks.