Anti-Bacterial

Silver Ions (Ag⁺), Our Best Friends

Silver acts as antibacterial agent? How?

Isn’t it a chemical element?

Isn’t it a lustrous metal that we use for making jewelry?

How does it kill bacteria and germs?

Is it really harmless to human body when we inhaled, ingested, applied topically or even injected?

These might be the most frequent questions emerge in your mind when knowing that silver actually works differently as you expected. In the impressions of most people, silver is only a metal that is valued for its decorative beauty and electrical conductivity.

Silver (Ag) and most silver compounds are harmless to human body but are toxic for bacteria, germs, certain viruses and all sorts of pathogens, the antimicrobial effectiveness of silver compounds as a bacteria killing agent is dependent on the capability of biologically active and positively charged silver ion (Ag⁺) that can irreversibly damage the key metabolic systems in the cell of pathogens.

The medical uses of silver ions are widely used to disinfect the medical devices and antibiotic coating of medical gadgets and utilities. They are also commonly added to antiseptic creams, wound dressings and bandages for its antimicrobial effect. Silver ions are generally low in toxicity and minimal risk is expected when silver is used in approved medical applications. Hence, silver is completely harmless to human body and very effective when it comes to killing pathogens but it will not bring benefits to health.