What is Colloidal Silver? (particle size)

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" Particle Size "

Excerpt from

Colloidal Silver: The Natural Antibiotic

by Zane Baranowski, CN

This clearly written, informative publication thoroughly explains colloids, ways

of making colloidal silver, early uses, rediscovering the universal

antimicrobial, visual qualities, safety and effectiveness, and modern day uses.

It also has an excellent bibliography with references and resources.

BEST COLLOIDAL SILVER

Within the last few years, a number of colloidal silver products have appeared

on the market, confusing consumers. The best way to determine if a product is a

true colloid of silver is to examine the ingredients. If it contains a

stabilizer, or listed trace elements other than silver, the product may not be

suitable. If the product requires refrigeration, it may contain some other

ingredient that might spoil at room temperature.

The highest quality colloidal silver is produced by the

electro-colloidal/non-chemical method. The silver particles and water have been

completely " colloided " and evenly dispersed and held in suspension by an

electrical current sent through the combination. This process is the only known

method to create a truly homogeneous (evenly distributed) solution, containing

super-fine silver particles in the range of 0.005 - 0.015 microns in diameter,

suspended in water, without the need of any chemical, stabilizer, dye, or other

ingredient.

There is very little or no visible accumulation of silver particles either in

the solution or settled on the bottom. The best products will contain the

largest number of particles from the smallest total amount of silver. (Note: an

artificial electrical charge applied to any element, including silver, cannot be

held infinitely - like a battery, its charge will dissipate. Therefore,

electro-colloidal silver cannot be expected to have infinite shelf-life; some

'fallout' may occur in any non-stabilized product over an extended period of

time.)

WHAT IS A COLLOID?

The term colloid (KOL' OID) refers to a substance that consists of ultra-fine

particles that are suspended in a medium of different matter (i,e. a non-soluble

mineral suspended in water). The particles in a colloid are typically 0.01 to

0.001 of a micron in diameter, or about four hundred thousandths to four

millionths of an inch. Approximately one billion of these particles could fit

into a cube four one hundredths of an inch in size.

Of the five manufacturing processes, the grind process and the electro-colloidal

process were primarily used to manufacture colloidal silver. Today, the FDA

still allows both manufacturing techniques to be used. However, of these two

methods the electro-colloidal manufacturing process is generally considered to

be far superior. With the grind method, the particles of silver are usually no

finer than four one-thousands of an inch. They may or may not be electrically

charged. The size of the silver particle is so large compared to the possible

charge, that the repelling forces would not be strong enough to offset the pull

of gravity on the particles, which will tend to settle to the bottom of the

solution, producing a less effective product.

Stabilizing Additives

To offset this settling problem, some manufacturers add a " stabilizer " (usually

a protein) to make the solution more viscous and keep them suspended for a

longer period of time. The silver particles will still eventually settle to the

bottom. The container will have to be shaken to redisperse the particles.

However, stabilizers tend to block the beneficial effects of the silver

particles.

Other procedures used in producing colloidal silver that involve a simple

mixture of metal and liquid (grind process) cannot possess as much potential as

electro-colloids and are therefore of questionable value. The proper electrical

process allows silver particles to be drawn off the ingot that are much smaller

than four one-thousandths of an inch diameter. If the silver particles are

within the range of four one-hundred-thousands to four one-millionths of an inch

in diameter, and are uniformly charged, a stabilizer is not required to keep the

particles suspended. The repelling magnetic force will offset the pull of

gravity on the particles, which are animated by " Brownian Movement " , and remain

in suspension in a liquid medium almost indefinitely, their stability depending

on the size of' the particles, the medium used and the manufacturing process

employed.

Visual Qualities

One indicator of the quality of colloidal silver is its color. As the size of

each silver particle gets larger, the color of the suspension ranges from yellow

(best) to brown, to red, to gray, to black (inferior). The increasing size of

the particles also reflects a proportionate decrease in quality of the product.

Colloids of silver that are produced using the electro-colloidal method are a

different color than the grind or chemical method forms of colloidal silver.

That rule generally applies, except in the case of some brands that use an

artificial yellow dye to falsify the proper color. Color variance also depends

on concentration, stabilizers, and the presence or absence of other trace

elements. The ideal form of colloidal silver will be almost colorless or have a

very light yellow color.

Besides buying from a reputable company and visually checking the color of the

product, another quick way to see if a solution contains colloids is by

observing the Faraday-Tyndall cone effect. When a sharp and intense hearn of

light passes through a colloid solution, the path of the light will appear to be

turbid. The path of the light is also altered. The path of the light will form a

cone shape within the solution. The best way to observe this is to take a test

tube of' colloidal silver into a dark room and shine a very bright flash light

through it. Colloids will appear to be milky. (Note: a discussion can be found

in Jirgensons and Straumanis' book titled " A Short Textbook of Colloid

Chemistry; " New York: Wiley & Sons, Inc; London: Pergamon Press Ltd.;

1954.)

Safety and Effectiveness

Specific documentation on the optimum potency or dosage for effective use is

sparse. This has led to a wide range of products of varying potencies - all

claiming to be the best. According to N.R. of Runcorn Health Laboratory

in England, the concentration of silver necessary to sterilize water

contaminated with pathogenic bacteria is between 40-200 gamma, or .04 to .2 ppm

(1 ppm = 1000 gamma). In 1940 and 1966, respectively, R.A. Kehoe and I.H. Tipton

reported that under normal circumstances the average daily diet will yield

approximately 50mcg to 100mcg of silver. (Note: The reduction of silver in the

average diet, due to commercial farming techniques, is similar to what has

happened with other trace minerals including chromium, zinc and selenium - that

are now known to be essential for good health. This reduction may play a role in

the worldwide epidemic of chronic infections.)

Therefore, it seems logical that a concentration of 3 to 5 ppm, yielding 15 mcg

to 25 mcg of silver per teaspoon, will be a sufficient concentration to be both

effective and safe to consume on a regular, daily basis. A 4 oz. container of

colloidal silver at a concentration of 3 ppm will contain approximately 355 mcg

of total silver - well below any reported toxicity level of orally consumed

silver - even if several ounces were consumed on a daily basis for several

years. Higher concentrations above 5 ppm, or about 591 mcg of total silver in a

4 oz container, may cause silver build-up in the system and are not necessarily

more effective, For example, a 25 ppm solution would yield 2.96 mg (2,960 mcg),

a 500 ppm solution would yield 59 mg (59,000 mcg), a 5,000 ppm solution would

yield 590 mg (590,000 mcg)! Any product containing higher concentrations, for

example having higher levels than what could be found in the average daily diet,

should definitely be taken with caution, only during a time of need and

certainly not for extended periods.

The statement 'less is more' is often made when referring to colloidal silver

and colloidal technology in general. What this means is that the number of

silver particles determines the quality and effectiveness of colloidal silver,

NOT simply the concentration. The term 'ppm' or 'parts per million' is confusing

because it is not referring to the number of parts or particles, it is actually

a different way to express total weight or total amount of silver. Since a

colloidal product can have particles ranging in size from 1n to100n, it is

difficult to judge the quality of a product by simply knowing the ppm. For

example, a product with a concentration of 5 ppm with an average particle size

of 5n would actually have more silver particles than another product of 25ppm

with an average size of 50n and thus be safer and more effective.

Stability, especially long-term, is another important aspect of' colloidal

silver products. To avoid " fall out " , some companies add a protein or chemical

stabilizer, allowing a higher concentration of silver with a greater level of

stability. The downside is that most stabilizers bond to and therefore reduce

the antimicrobial effect of' silver. Such products contain higher levels ot

total silver to compensate, and should he taken with caution because in all

documented cases of silver toxicity, called Argyria (the permanent discoloration

of the skin due to silver deposits), the product in question contained high

concentrations of silver compounded with stabilizers such as silver nitrate or

silver acetate. Argyria has never been reported from pure electro-colloidal

silver free of protein or other stabilizers.

Effects on Friendly Bacteria

Another advantage of correctly manufactured colloidal silver is that, with a

particle size well below 1 micron (.015 to .001), a 3 to 5 ppm concentration of

colloidal silver is unlikely to affect friendly intestinal bacteria. When taken

orally, sublingual absorption in the mouth directly into the bloodstream should

occur before the silver particles have the opportunity to migrate into the small

or large intestine where intestinal bacteria normally dominate. However, in the

case ot a known intestinal infection, enemas or colonies of colloidal silver

could be utilized to directly expose the infection to the sterilizing benefit of

colloidal silver. Consumption of colloidal silver on a daily basis would

significantly reduce the incidence of infection. The ability to do this safely

could be a powerful preventive health measure to enhance the lives of millions

of' people susceptible to chronic infections. This is an opportunity only

offered by properly prepared electrocolloidal silver that contains 99.9999% pure

silver with no binding agents, stabilizers or proteins.

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