Silver

:This page is about silver the element. For the color, see silver (color).

Precautions and health effects

Silver itself is not toxic but most of its salts are poisonous and may be carcinogenic.

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Compounds containing silver can be absorbed into the circulatory system and become deposited in various body tissues leading to the condition called argyria which results in a permanent grayish pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes. Although this condition does not harm a person's health, it is disfiguring. Ingestion of colloidal silver and silver compounds can lead to argyria.

Related Topics:
Circulatory system - Argyria - Mucous membrane - Colloidal silver

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Silver plays no natural biological role in humans.

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The possible health effects of silver are a subject of dispute. Silver has germicidal effects and kills many microbial organisms in vitro without causing noticeable harm to more complex life-forms. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. Various kinds of silver compounds are sold as remedies for a variety of diseases. However, no clinical study has yet demonstrated a therapeutic use for silver as an antibiotic in vivo.

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Silver compunds were used sucessfully to prevent infection in World War I before the advent of anti-biotics.

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Silver compounds are used to accelerate healing in burn victims.

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Silver-ions and silver compounds show a toxic effect on some bacteria, viruses, algae and fungi because of the oligodynamic effect which is typical for heavy metals.

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Copper is active against algae while silver is active against bacteria primarily due to silver's activity in the absorption of oxygen causing bacteria to oxidize on contact.

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