The antimicrobial effect of silver has been known since antiquity.
In ancient Greece and Rome, silver coins were placed in containers holding liquids to keep them sterile. In the 1940’s, with the onset of the golden age
of antibiotics, the antibacterial and medicinal use of silver seemed to drift into obscurity. Towards the end of the 20th century, the widespread use of antibiotics gave rise to antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains. Today, NASA uses silver to maintain sterility of water in outer space on reusable-launch vehicles (RLV’s).
- The antimicrobially active form of silver is solvated silver ions.
- Silver has a wide-ranging antimicrobial action against bacteria, fungi and viruses.
- It is effective at very low concentrations, i.e. on the order of 10-6 to 10-9 mol/L
- It is non-toxic for higher life forms including humans and therefore environment-friendly