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ANTIMICROBIAL USES OF COPPER AND SILVER Before it was recognized that microorganisms exist, citizens of the early Roman Empire used copper piping to improve public hygiene. They observed that water delivered through copper was safe to drink and that copper utensils and cookware helped to prevent the spread of disease. Much later, after microbes were discovered and the germs theory of infection linked bacteria and other microorganisms to infection and disease, scientists began to understand how copper and silver's antimicrobial properties could be harnessed to provide additional benefits. Today, the antimicrobial uses of copper and silver have been expanded to include fungicides, pesticides, antifouling paints, antimicrobial medicines, oral hygiene products, hygienic medical devices, antiseptics and a host of other useful applications. Much is known about the antimicrobial effects of copper and silver in the inactivation of L. pneumophila, a principal agent of Legionnaire’s disease. Legionnaire’s disease has long been a priority for A.S.S.E., and this article discusses its importance to public health in relation to water systems. Recent scientific investigations have also demonstrated the efficacy of copper and silver to inactivate other harmful microbes. These include methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) – the deadly pathogen that has become a primary concern of healthcare administrators today. Similar studies have been conducted on E. coli O157:H7, a food- and waterborne bacterium that can cause severe illness and death, and Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that originates in soil and water and is spread during food handling.
COPPER & HUMAN HEALTH Although our bodies require only a small amount of copper (U.S. RDA is 0.9 mg for adults), its contribution to human health is undeniable and as essential as calcium, iron and zinc. Present in our bodies from conception, copper helps form a developing infant’s heart, skeletal and nervous systems, as well as arteries and blood vessels. Copper continues to play a vital role as we age – keeping our hair and skin in good condition while repairing and maintaining connective tissue in our hearts and arteries. It also facilitates absorption and utilization of iron and enables cells to use the energy present in carbohydrates, proteins and fats. An improper balance of copper, iron and zinc can result in poor copper status, which over time may lead to heart and circulatory problems, bone abnormalities and complications in the immune system. Seafood, nuts, whole grain products, wheat bran cereals, organ meats, raisins and chocolate are all dietary sources of copper.
SILVER & EVERYDAY LIFE Silver's
Importance to Health While silver's importance as a bactericide has been documented only since the late 1800s, its use in purification has been known throughout the ages. Early records indicate that the Phoenicians, for example, used silver vessels to keep water, wine and vinegar pure during their long voyages. In America, pioneers moving west put silver and copper coins in their water barrels to keep it clean. In fact, "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" is not a reference to wealth, but to health. In the early 18th century, babies who were fed with silver spoons were healthier than those fed with spoons made from other metals, and silver pacifiers found wide use in America because of their beneficial health effects.
Helping to Stop Legionnaire’s Disease Recent research compared silver-copper ionization with the use of high temperatures to destroy bacteria. Contaminated cold water re infected the hot water system even when temperatures in hot water heaters reached as high as 60 degrees Centigrade. But experiments showed that even at lower water temperatures, ionization of soft water with silver and copper ions was effective against the bacteria. “Ionization showed better results." said Nigel Pavey principal research engineer for BSRIA Water Services Technology Centre in Berkshire. And to make certain its benefits are widespread, "there should be more emphasis on copper-silver ionization in legislation,' he said.
Keeping Plastic Clean
Promoting Skin Growth In a treatment developed by Mountain Medical Specialties of Lakemont. GA. a silver-coated fabric is used to cover the wound. A miniature battery is connected to the fabric to begin a flow of silver ions to encourage normal skin growth and eliminate bacteria which generally prevents complete regeneration of the skin and nerve function. This method has actually restored the natural skin patterns and sensations in the palms of hands.
Eliminating Harmful Bacteria "The applications for ionization are almost endless," Ganim said. Currently ionization is used by chicken farmers to reduce bacteria and fungus without affecting the health of the chickens. 'We think this system will also work for citrus growers' who routinely spray their trees with chemicals.
Helping People With Allergies
SILVER AND COPPER - NATURE'S WATER PURIFIER Silver - Preventing Outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease
Silver Copper System Works Better than High Temperatures to Destroy Deadly
Bacteria Following major outbreaks of Legionellosis (Legionnaire’s Disease) in the United Kingdom in the late 1980’s the government came out with safety guidelines for cooling towers which all but eliminated the problem. Now, however the government has turned its attention to hot and cold service which now accounts for a significant number of identified cases of Legionnaire’s disease in the UK Silver is playing a key role in efforts to prevent these deadly outbreaks. With funding from the government and private industry the building and services research and information association (BSRIA) has completed a two year research project to compare the effectiveness of using silver and copper ionization against the storage of water at high temperatures to destroy the bacteria. “Ionization showed better results” says Nigel Pavey, Principal Research Engineer for BSRIA. For example, contaminated cold water re-infected the hot water system even when temperatures in hot water heaters reached as high as 60 degrees Centigrade. Experiments showed that even at lover water temperatures, ionization of soft water with silver and copper ions was effective against legionella. In showers and hot and cold faucets, ionization was effective against the bacteria if silver concentration was around 40 micrograms per liter. Hard water presented a problem however. The electrodes used for ionization frequently scaled up and the high level of dissolved solids in the water took the silver ions out of the solution. When silver ionization levels could be kept up using scaling controls, the technique was effective.
Silver Water Purification Systems Offer Reliable Alternative to Chlorine Laguna Niguel, CA (March 25, 1997) - Silver based water purification systems offer the most reliable and cost effective alternative to chlorine, a chemical that is increasingly coming under fire for the carcinogenic by products it leaves in water, according to David Eaton, secretary of The Institute of Water Ionization Technologies in the United Kingdom and technical director of Roseland Hydronics PLC. Speaking at the annual meeting of The Gold & Silver Institutes in Laguna, Niguel, CA. this week Eaton said progressively restrictive legislation is confronting the use of chemicals, especially chlorine, which for nearly a century. has been the primary medium for water disinfection. With increasing pollution, utilities are forced to put far more chlorine into the supply chain, Eaton explained. The chemical reaction that oxidizes impurities when chlorine is added, also forms carcinogenic byproducts. "Of course these same byproducts have been generated by chlorination for a long time but never in the quantities that are now being seen," he said. Silver offers a healthy alternative. The metal has long been known for its biocidal properties, Eaton noted. The Ancient Phoenicians. who stored wine in silver urns to preserve it, provide one of the earliest recorded examples of the metal’s use for water purification. Applying modern technology to this old fashioned principle, The Institute of Water Ionization Technologies has developed silver ion generators for municipal water supplies. The market for silver ionized swimming pool systems has expanded significantly in the US and overseas, Eaton said. But in Britain, silver ionization is being developed for mainstream water systems. Machines used to clean primary water must be much larger and more powerful than small swimming pool units, and require accurate control mechanisms to ensure that levels of silver are maintained and kept within drinking water standards. Eaton discussed a recent project funded by the UK Department of the Environment to study the control of Legionnaires disease by using silver ions. The disease is named after Legionella pneumophilia, an organism that is widespread in small quantities within natural water sources. The bacteria becomes lethal at a water temperature of 95 degrees F and can be killed at temperatures between 135 and 140 degrees F. Of three tests, silver/copper ions in soft water produced the best results. The copper ion disrupted the enzyme structures of the cell allowing the silver ion to penetrate inside where it rapidly killed the cell's life support system. US regulations allow a silver level of 100 ppb in drinking water, but a silver level of only 20 ppb kills Legionella. A new European Union Drinking Water Standard in draft form has removed any upper limit for silver in drinking water following the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality which States, "It is unnecessary to recommend any health-based guideline for silver as it is not hazardous to human heath.
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