Colloidal silver ie497B

Colloidal silver

Colloidal silver is a colloid of silver particles in water. It has antimicrobial properties and was, in the past, used on external wounds and burns to prevent infection. Some claim that it is a beneficial nutritional supplement and a powerful antibiotic[1], although this is disputed[2]. As with many of the claims made for this product, there is no scientific proof of its efficacy as a treatment for illnesses such as anthrax following bio-terror alerts.[citation needed] The ingestion of colloidal silver in large quantities or over a long period of time carries a high risk of argyria, a condition in which the skin turns permanently blue-gray[3][4][5][6].

Colloidal silver can be used to keep drinkable water potable over a long period. [1] It is also used externally for health benefits.
Silver has been used as a topical antiseptic for minor burns for more than 100 years [7]. High concentrations of colloidal silver kill bacteria and the topical, or external, use of colloidal silver to kill microbes is well established. Though colloidal silver was a prescribed treatment in the U.S. Navy's corpsman's manual until 1973, the use of colloidal silver was discontinued due to the rare but serious risk of argyria, a non-reversible condition. For this reason and others—the extraordinarily broad claims made for the product—its use as an ingested medication remains controversial.

Colloidal silver is toxic. Oral LD50 values for mice reported for colloidal silver are 100 mg/kg.[8]
Continued ingestion of high doses (more than 1 gram of accumulated silver, or 5 mg per day) of colloidal silver may result in argyria, a rare condition causing a permanent discoloration of the skin.[3][4][5]
Argyria is not a serious or fatal condition.[9] While the skin discoloration may be confused for other conditions, there are no physiologic implications for the patient.[10]
Almost all known cases of argyria resulted from exposure to or use of silver oxide or silver nitrate.[citation needed] One of the few confirmed cases of argyria caused by colloidal silver is that of Stan Jones, a Montana Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2006, who overdosed on colloidal silver. Mr. Jones' colloidal silver was a home-prepared solution which he began taking in 1999 due to fears of antibiotics being unavailable due to "Y2K" bug problems.[6]
Advocates of colloidal silver claim it to be a useful supplement to their diet, providing them with improved health and well being and (among other things) a low incidence of colds and flu.[citation needed] They also assert that, under careful use (one teaspoon of 5ppm concentrate every 1 to 3 days) of properly produced (5parts per million) colloidal silver, argyria is virtually impossible. [11] These claims are anecdotal, and have not been confirmed by scientific study.

Colloidal Silver (CS) is generally produced by an electrolysis process. The making of colloidal silver requires 2 silver electrodes to be placed in a glass container of water and the appropriate electric current applied. The vast majority of CS generators being offered today use batteries in a series wired arrangement which supply DC voltage and current. With battery voltage potential applied, the water acts as a conductive medium as tiny particles of silver sinter off one of the silver electrodes and go into the water. Ideally, the silver particles should remain suspended in the water as a colloid solution due to the positive electric charge on each silver particle which allows the particles to repel each other and remain suspended.

NanoHorizons is a custom nanoscale materials engineering company. The company's SmartSilver™ brand is recognized worldwide as a leader in providing anti-odor/antimicrobial protection to natural and synthetic fibers and fabrics. SmartSilver additives, along with NanoHorizons' other technologies, solve real-world challenges through nanoscale engineering, in industries ranging from performance apparel to medical instrumentation.

Figure 2: SmartSilver-enhanced polyester fiber is virtually indistinguishable from regular polyester fiber.

Dostları ilə paylaş: