What environmental concerns are there about silver?

Answer 1

Concerns have been raised, however, over the use and marketing of washing machines using the silver nano technology. The German branch of Friends of the Earth, Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), has warned consumers not to buy a new type of washing machine that uses silver nanoparticles. BUND criticized the product, noting that considerable amounts of silver could enter sewage plants and seriously trouble the biological purification process of waste water. In addition, silver nanoparticles were claimed to have a toxic effect on different kinds of living cells.[7][8] Samsung countered that only an accumulated amount of 0.05 grams of silver is released per machine, per year, while the released silver-ions quickly bind to non-nano-sized structures in the water.[9] Korea Times quotes Hwang Ee-taek, a co-author of the paper stating that firms like Samsung and LG Electronics started from the idea that silver-nanoparticles kill bacteria and they actually do. But scientists are still unsure of whether they are safe for humans. This field of research is still at a very rudimentary stage.[10] However in another news, Hong Kong University researchers believe that silver nano may hold a solution to one of China's worst health concerns, the spread of hepatitis B, which can cause liver cancer and liver failure. The silver nano-particles have another advantage since it is unlikely that HBV can become resistant to silver nano-particles because the interaction is determined by the physicochemical properties of the tiny particles. The study is still in the laboratory stage and any findings it may generate are still three to five years away from clinic use. Concerns have been raised, however, over the use and marketing of washing machines using the silver nano technology. The German branch of Friends of the Earth, Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), has warned consumers not to buy a new type of washing machine that uses silver nanoparticles. BUND criticized the product, noting that considerable amounts of silver could enter sewage plants and seriously trouble the biological purification process of waste water. In addition, silver nanoparticles were claimed to have a toxic effect on different kinds of living cells.[7][8] Samsung countered that only an accumulated amount of 0.05 grams of silver is released per machine, per year, while the released silver-ions quickly bind to non-nano-sized structures in the water.[9] Korea Timesquotes Hwang Ee-taek, a co-author of the paper stating that firms like Samsung and LG Electronics started from the idea that silver-nanoparticles kill bacteria and they actually do. But scientists are still unsure of whether they are safe for humans. This field of research is still at a very rudimentary stage.[10] However in another news, Hong Kong University researchers believe that silver nano may hold a solution to one of China's worst health concerns, the spread of hepatitis B, which can cause liver cancer and liver failure. The silver nano-particles have another advantage since it is unlikely that HBV can become resistant to silver nano-particles because the interaction is determined by the physicochemical properties of the tiny particles. The study is still in the laboratory stage and any findings it may generate are still three to five years away from clinic use.

Answer 2

Environmental concerns about silver include its mining impacts such as deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. Additionally, the improper disposal of silver-containing products can lead to water contamination and harm to aquatic ecosystems. Finally, the extraction and processing of silver can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.