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Silver itself is not toxic but most of its salts are poisonous and may be carcinogenic.
Compounds containing silver can be absorbed into the circulatory system and become deposited in various body tissues leading to the condition called argyria which results in a permanent grayish pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes. Although this condition does not harm a person's health, it is disfiguring.
This metal plays no natural biological role in humans.
The possible health effects of silver are a subject of dispute. Silver has germicidal effects and kills many microbial organisms in vitro without causing noticeable harm to more complex life-forms. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. Various kinds of silver compounds are sold as remedies for a variety of diseases. However, no clinical study has yet demonstrated a therapeutic use for silver as an antibiotic in vivo. Ingestion of silver compounds can lead to argyria.
Silver compounds are used to accelerate healing in burn victims. According to Dr. Robert O. Becker, they can promote the healing of bones as well.
Silver is used in along with copper as an agent to remove algae in swimming pools in the United States by use of electrolysis. Copper is active against algae while silver is active against bacteria primarily due to silver's activity in absorption of oxygen causing bacteria to oxidize on contact. Some swimming pools do not use silver due to staining problems so they instead used copper - zinc colloids instead.
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