Pool water....and.....water

[Gray_Area]

I was curious about colloidal silver use in pools, and recalled part of this thread.


History

Egyptians used silver plates after skull surgery to prevent infection. The Greeks and Romans used silver containers to preserve liquids. American pioneers left silver dollars in water as a way of purifying it. Near the end of the nine19th century, silver was used to fill cavities and drops of silver nitrate were put in the eyes of newborns to prevent infection. After indications that colloidal silver was useful in purifying water, it was used experimentally to treat swimming pool water in the early 1970s.


Does it Work?

In 1973, the Allegeny County Healthy Department tested colloidal silver in a 150,000-gallon swimming pool that had been disinfected using 50 lb. of chlorine a day. Department officials circulated the pool water through a filter of activated carbon containing colloid silver through the 1974 and 1975 swimming seasons. Up to 50 daily samples during this period found that silver ions remained at a steady rate of 20 parts per billion. The Health Department concluded that colloid silver "is equal to chlorine in maintaining essentially coliform-free pool water, and is somewhat better than chlorine in destroying pseudomonas and staph aureus organism." There were no visible signs of algae in the water.

In 1976, 50 gallons of sewage was dumped into a 20,000-gallon swimming pool in Nebraska, producing 7,000 E. coli bacteria cells for each 1/2 cup of water. The contents of the swimming pool were disinfected by pumping it through a tank containing electrodes that produced colloidal silver. Three hours later, the pool was free of E. coli bacteria and contained only 3.2 parts of colloid silver for each billion parts of water, a safe level for humans.


**Note that this is not universally true (I am a living example) :

Chronic intake of colloidal silver can result in particles of silver or silver sulfide in the skin. This condition, argyria, can result in a blue or gray discoloration of the skin. There is no known treatment of argyria. **


http://www.ehow.com/way_5538843_can-colloidal-silver-treat-pool.html

[Well Fed Games]

gray discoloration of the skin. There is no known treatment

so if you have a gray area, it is best to give up hope. 

Seriously, though, I had no idea silver could be used that way.

[lilshawn]

a rip-off from wikipedia cause i'm too lazy to type... but reading your article reminded me of this:

some materials, e.g. brass, copper and silver, are slowly poisonous to many germs. The exact mechanism is not known, but is commonly thought to be via the oligodynamic effect, perhaps by some other electrostatic effect. Brass and copper, for example, disinfect themselves of many germs within eight hours. Other materials such as glass, porcelain, stainless steel and aluminium do not have this effect. Self-disinfecting door handles are particularly important in hospitals, but useful in any building.

[Vigo]

I know in Korea, chopsticks are metal. This roots from that Korean royalty would use silver chopsticks to detect poison in their food. Apparently, the silver would turn color when in contact with poisons.

[EightBySix]

Lots of sticking plasters here have silver impregnated in them. You can also get it in hand wash.

[TopJimmyCooks]

 

**Note that this is not universally true (I am a living example) :

Chronic intake of colloidal silver can result in particles of silver or silver sulfide in the skin. This condition, argyria, can result in a blue or gray discoloration of the skin. There is no known treatment of argyria. **

Are you saying you've got argyria?  Fascinating. 

[crashwg]

His screen name suddenly makes more sense...

[kahlid74]

So you're telling me I should switch my Auto-Chlorinating system to a silver system?  Probably be less expensive than this darn Chlorine system to boot!

[lilshawn]

So you're telling me I should switch my Auto-Chlorinating system to a silver system?  Probably be less expensive than this darn Chlorine system to boot!

just open up your filter toss your family silverware in there.

[Gray_Area]

So you're telling me I should switch my Auto-Chlorinating system to a silver system?  Probably be less expensive than this darn Chlorine system to boot!

just open up your filter toss your family silverware in there.

You could, though various factors determine the efficacy of this. There is obviously a non-trivial passive emission of silver ions from immersed silver. However, a much greater concentration comes from applying a very small electrical current to the silver. I have a hand-held unit that uses three 9v batteries, and can make gallons in minutes.

It is also much like diamondizing (developed in the 50s): costs pennies, and is a more effective product. Not to mention non-toxic/non-hazardous and non-caustic/chemically stable.....etc, etc, etc....  Why wasn't it adopted? That goes beyond this thread.

Lastly: funny. I didn't pick up on that [possible joke]. Actually, I heard about it years ago, that people can turn blue. In any case, it only can happen with organic silver. This process is inorganic, which is why after drinking scads of gallons, I've never experienced argyria.

[lanman31337]

I have a guy at work that has a blue/grey skintone because of the silver.

[Well Fed Games]

Does no one else boil their pool water? Sure, it scalds, but no bacteria!

[Rando]

How would you boil a pool?  Lightning??

Lastly: funny. I didn't pick up on that [possible joke]. Actually, I heard about it years ago, that people can turn blue. In any case, it only can happen with organic silver. This process is inorganic, which is why after drinking scads of gallons, I've never experienced argyria.

These people are blue... but its due to a genetic condition called methemoglobinemia:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819

[kahlid74]

Does no one else boil their pool water? Sure, it scalds, but no bacteria!

My pool heater only goes to 120 F and has a flame coming out the side when I set it that way.  It looks like a drag racer.

[Gray_Area]

I have a guy at work that has a blue/grey skintone because of the silver.

He probably paid for it, too.


I'm looking forward to using it. I'll let you all know how it works.