It is already known worldwide that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most widely used and widespread nanotechnology material. Colloidal silver solutions can contain several types of material, as far as silver is concerned, because the notion of “colloidal” only defines the type of solution (a colloid) and not its content.

Colloidal silver vs. colloidal silver with silver nanoparticles

A colloid refers to a substance whose spread is uniform. Fog is a colloid. Foam is a colloid. Colloidal silver only tells us that in solution we have silver dispersed in a solvent (water, gel, etc.) but it tells us nothing about how pure the water is, how pure the metal or substance from which the silver comes is, what the lifetime of the dispersion is (how long it takes for deposits to appear), what the particle size is, the shape of the particle, whether it contains anything else, such as silver ions, what kind of ions (natural or chemical) or other substances.

That’s why colloidal silver is often blamed in the media, because it doesn’t tell us much other than that we have silver in suspension in the bottle. We can still have some dangerous salts that get trapped in the tissue and accumulate, we can have large particles that don’t have much of a therapeutic effect and if they are too large they can also accumulate OR we can have high quality nano silver particles, or we can have natural positive silver ions without any chemical compounds in distilled and deionised water.

The difference is colossal. That’s why most academic studies are strictly on silver nanoparticles or silver ions (obtained naturally) and not colloidal silver. The most accessible are on Google Scholar (scholar.google.com). Just search for “silver nanoparticles” and you’ll see over 1.7M (one million seven hundred thousand) reference works. By the way to those who say… there are not enough studies…

That is why the buyer of colloidal solutions should know all this. Knowledge is power. And thus become a conscious consumer, immune to online ‘texts’ that either lump all kinds of products in the same pot, or glorify some products that, taken at face value, say nothing but silver and water on their labels. Nothing about nanoparticles, nothing about particle size analysis. I don’t think there’s a colloidal silver manufacturer who hasn’t ever measured their particles. Especially since these analyses don’t cost a fortune. Further, I don’t think there is any manufacturer who, if the result of the analyses is exceptional (which would make a net difference in the market) would not publish the result of those analyses on the product label and “proof” in the leaflets accompanying their high quality products.

Well, with the exception of our colloidal products marketed under the PURE LIFE® brand, none of our Romanian competitors publish this information on their product labels. Instead, some write on the net that they have very small particle sizes, others even smaller than ours (2 nm at the median). The difference is crucial: writing on the product label means that in the notification dossier this information must be supported by analysis. Writing that you have structured water is also the same: you have to show by analysis that the water has changed certain permeability properties due to the structuring process. Writing that you have natural positive silver ions in solution (and not citrate or other chemical ions) also. How do you produce that, natural positive silver ions (Ag+)? This is a curious question even in the eyes of a Dr.Ing CSI (PhD Research Scientist), the difference being that the latter understands and appreciates the value of such a product.

A little Romanian history

There have been several manufacturers of colloidal solutions on the Romanian market for years. When we, through Agnes Itara srl, “broke the ice” of colloidal notifications in 2009, thus being the first Romanian producer of nanomaterials, we also introduced on the market elements that characterize the product (without which we would not have been able to notify it for domestic use) such as:

1) the concept of ppm – the amount of silver in solution;
2) the concept of particle size and its importance;
3) the concept of natural positive silver ions and its importance;
4) the importance of particle shape;
5) the importance of distilled water structure in the nanotechnology process.

Previous traders selling imported products did not specify any of these criteria, just that the solution is colloidal silver and that’s it. We are not embarrassed to point out that one such trader had only distilled water and grapefruit seed extract in the solution. No silver at all!

Of all these important criteria, only the concept of ppm was subsequently used by competitors in the market. Although we have been providing customers with information on all 5 points that characterize a colloidal solution for 10 years, I have not seen any analysis by any competitor even on particle size to tell the customer the essential information whether the product is colloidal silver or colloidal silver with nanoparticles.

What is a nanoparticle?

Any particle smaller than 100nm in size is called a nanoparticle, by the unanimously accepted convention of nanotechnology forums. Although, in terms of physical measurements, a 900 nm particle is smaller than a one micron (1000nanometre) particle, extensive nanotechnology studies have shown that nano properties of materials exert their specific action only below 100nanometres.
Given this fact, any colloidal product with particles larger than 100nm is not considered colloidal silver with nanoparticles but only colloidal silver.

A prime example is the CSID website which publishes an article on colloidal silver and another article on colloidal silver with nanoparticles. The radical difference between the two articles, on the same medical website, is as clear as can be:

A) article about colloidal silver: Silver colloidal supplements: effective or not? – CSID

B) article about colloidal silver with silver nanoparticles: Benefits of colloidal silver from silver nanoparticles – CSID

Why is nanoparticle size so important?

Don’t be fooled by high concentrations! Evaluating a product only by concentration, quantity and price, without taking into account the particle size (the one written on the product label, not just on the net), is like buying a flat TV (liquid crystal display) by diagonal and price neglecting the resolution! Just as a 126m diagonal HDTV priced at 1000lei is not a better deal than a 126cm diagonal 4K TV priced at 1200!

Why are we just writing this article now?

Colloidal silver is usually marketed for its immunomodulatory function and its bactericidal properties. Scientifically, colloidal silver with 200 nm particles also performs this role, although at least 100 times less effectively than colloidal silver with 2 nm nanoparticles (same concentration both).

But when it comes to the fully antimicrobial bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal action, things are quite different: only nanoparticles smaller than 10 nanometres have fully antimicrobial action.

There are numerous studies in this direction, the most eloquent being that of the research team Gaikwad, et al. 2013 who used five types of colloidal silver obtained by different methods. Three of them also have nanoparticles below 10nm ranging from 4-13nm, 5-23nm and 7-20nm. Of all five types of colloidal silver, the 4-13nm and 5-23nm categories had effective antimicrobial action. The 7-20nm category had weak antimicrobial action and the other two nanoparticle categories, which had nanoparticles larger than 10nm had no detectable antimicrobial action.

Find great information about the action of silver nanoparticles in inhibiting microbial replication here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826769/ and those we reported in the “Conclusion” section, second paragraph.

As “ice-breakers” on the colloids market in Romania, we assume the role of correctly informing both consumers of colloidal solutions and retailers, but not least ignorant manufacturers who do not know much about what a colloid means.

What to do?

If you are a simple customer then you should check the product label for particle size information under ‘ingredients’. As mentioned earlier, nanoparticle size is a key quality criterion. When a product has a very small nanoparticle size we believe that the manufacturer will not hesitate to put this on the label. However, if for whatever reason this information is there, it is real but the importance of information on the product bottle about particle size has not been considered, the consumer would do well to ask the shop whether they asked for this information when they bought the products. If buying online then it’s even easier: we advise customers to ask for these analyses by email! If you later notice that these analyses may be a fake then you can ask the manufacturer where they did these analyses and check with that third party. We guarantee that no manufacturer in Romania has its own colloidal particle measurement equipment. So don’t believe it if you hear it.

Why are we informing you?

Given that in this period the primary focus is on total antimicrobial action, relying on some products that will have no subsequent effect also affects us indirectly: that customer may say “I took colloidal silver when I had the flu and it had no effect!”. That customer will never take a colloidal silver solution again, no matter if it is explained that this time it is very small nanoparticles, below 10nm. Besides, beyond affecting our potential customers in the market, your life and health comes first. This is why we do not advise you to buy only our product but give you clues to orient yourself in the colloidal market accordingly. Please note, information on nanoparticle size MUST be written on the product label. This is the only way the manufacturer can be held liable by the OPC and ANPC. If you are told by phone or read on the website, attached to the product picture, it is not enough. The website can say ANYTHING and that’s why we understand why some customers ask us to direct them to pharmacies or grocery stores that sell our products.

TEM analysis of PURE LIFE colloidal silver products:

Examples of TEM analyses of other colloidal silver products on the colloidal market:

Transparent colloidal silver solution

Very high concentration colloidal silver (also very large particles!)

Transparent colloidal silver solution

Stabilized colloidal silver(otherwise these large particles deposit)

Columinescent colloidal silver… REAL! (even if the concentrations are real, the poor quality can be observed due to lack of uniform dispersion)

About silver ions

Although there may still be other products on the market that sell silver ions, PURE LIFE guarantees, after analysis, that it is still the only brand that produces natural positive silver ions.

It is not enough for the solution to be transparent to have 40% silver ions. Transparent colloidal silver can also be obtained at high voltage. Money-hungry manufacturers produce colloidal silver at high voltages in a short time and then dilute the solution. It will certainly not have natural positive silver ions or nanoparticles.

Apart from yellowish or brownish coloured colloidal solutions, solutions obtained by bioreduction processes or silver oxides (an almost black solution), almost the entire colloidal silver market is transparent or with washed out shades of grey (colloids with large particles).

On closer inspection, those who say they produce colloidal “and” ionic silver actually have listed products containing colloidal silver “or” products containing chemical ions (usually citrate) and which are not recommended for internal use but only external use (the NIVEA Protect range with silver ions actually uses silver citrate).

There is a clear difference between colloidal ionic silver – which is actually a hydrosolution with 2.5 nm nanoparticles and natural positive silver ions – and colloidal and ionic silver – which is more a category of colloidal silver products and products with chemical silver ions. Hopefully we’ve clarified this as well because we’ve often been asked what the difference would be.

Instead of conclusion

All of the products whose reviews I have attached above are truly colloidal silver solutions. BUT none of them are colloidal silver solutions with silver nanoparticles. Below 100nm. Let’s say below 10nm – for full antimicrobial action!

PURE LIFE® team

P.S. Given this information, we believe it can now be explained why the only colloidal solution in Romania that has led to the neutralization of pyocyanin (a resistant bacteria) is our solution:

https://argintcoloidal-ionic.ro/2016/10/23/argentograma-a-aratat-ca-solutiile-coloidal-ionice-argentum-sunt-unice/