Technical White Paper: Antimicrobial Activity of Silver (Is Largely Dependent Upon the Presence of Silver Ions)
The antibacterial activity of silver ions, metallic silver and silver nanoparticles is discussed in this Technical White Paper from Industrial Biological Services, Ltd. of Berkshire, England. The paper concludes that silver ions are the principle active antimicrobial species of silver, with metallic silver being relatively unreactive, and silver nanoparticles exhibiting size-dependent activity against both bacteria and viruses.
The paper also concludes “The mechanism depends on both the concentration of silver ions present and the sensitivity of the microbial species to silver. Contact time, temperature, pH and the presence of free water all impact on both the rate and extent of antimicrobial activity. However, the spectrum of activity is very wide and the development of resistance relatively low, especially in clinical situations.”
