Silver
a weapon in bacteria battle
The
significance of silver is growing in hospitals and may soon replace
antibiotics as an alternative for healing. It is also gaining
ground in the burgeoning field of nanotechnology, writes DOROTHY
KOSICH, from Spokane, Washington.
THE
over-prescription of antibiotics and the rapid spread of harmful
bacteria globally are creating "a perfect storm for silver", which
will encourage even more medical use of the precious metal, Silver
Institute Executive Director Mike DiRienzo said recently.
In
a presentation to the Silver Summit in Spokane in September, DiRienzo
detailed new and emerging uses for silver, lead by the metal's
growing significance in hospitals and the practice of medicine.
"Currently we're seeing a surge of applications for silver-based
biocides in all areas: industrial, commercial and consumer. New
products are being introduced almost daily," he said.
Silver may soon replace antibiotics as an alternative to healing,
he explained. The use of silver in medical implants is in the
testing phase, such as the use of silver in implants to reduce
the threat of spinal infections. DiRienzo said: "Engineers at
the University of California, Davis, have developed a 'smart'
contact lens designed to measure pressure within the eye. High
eye pressure can be a sign of glaucoma, the world's second leading
cause of blindness. At the heart of the new lens are sensors that
measure stress on the cornea and the fluid pressure within the
eye. The lens is composed of a type of silicone used in commercial
contact lenses and silver particles placed on the lens that act
as conductive wires and that double as antimicrobial agents."
The new lens could be used by hospitals and doctors to check for
glaucoma but also by patients in their homes through a personal
computer hooked into a wireless network.
Meanwhile,
hospitals are increasingly using silver for equipment surfaces,
coatings, and other uses aimed at reducing bacteria growth. Silver
is even being used in the paper used for hospital notes. Not only
that, but the precious metal is also being increasingly used in
textiles, such as in polyester fibre coatings. DiRienzo said India
has began to use silver to preserve silk fabrics. Scientists at
the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi have developed
a method creating anti-microbial silk by infusing the delicate
material with silver ions.
Among other consumer applications of silver are consumer electronics,
with millions expected to be invested in silver conductive inks
by 2015. Silver is used to concentrate solar-energy for power
generation, and in humidifiers to slow the growth of bacteria.
Silver is also reducing bacteria in refrigerators and in washing
machines. DiRienzo added that "the newest trend is the use of
nano-silver particles to deliver silver ions as the nano-technology
industry grows and we become more knowledgeable about how nano-particles
behave". He called silver nanotechnology "a huge market", which
is being stymied by a two-year battle with EPA over the designation
of the technology as a potentially toxic metal.
