Public Health Aspects of the Treatment of Water and Beverages With Silver.

PUBLIC health workers have been greatly interested for many years in the presence of metallic substances such as arsenic and lead in foods and more recently in the presence of antimony. These substances have usually gained entrance to foodstuffs either accidentally or by technical methods designed to produce better quality foods. In general, however, such substances have not been deliberately added with the full knowledge that the consumer will ingest regular and definite quantities. Wre now have another member of the metallic group, namely, silver, which certain commercial organizations are recommending for use as a bactericidal and preserving agent. Before the general use of a method designed to add silver becomes widespread, public health authorities should consider whether or not the public health hazard from the ingestion of silver is comparable to the known dangers from other metallic compounds and, if so, what concentration of silver can be considered safe in foods and in drinking water.