Dear MAMA2BEAR, The designation 'heavy metal' is an arbitrary label, usually meaning 'toxic metal'.
All metals are toxic in sufficient doses, silver is less toxic than most. Here are some references which demonstrate the arbitrary nature of 'heavy metals'. Regards Ivan. What is a heavy metal? "Turning to regular dictionaries (as opposed to chemical dictionaries): Webster (3) gives "A metal of high specific gravity; esp: a metal having a specific gravity of 5.0 or over." All the metals that I think of as heavy metals have densities above 5 g/cm3, while no metals with densities below 5 have heavy metal chemistry. This supports Webster's definition, but it is deceptive. Being a heavy metal has little to do with density, but rather concerns chemical properties. The metals that I have seen referred to as heavy metals comprise a block of all the metals in Groups 3 to 16 that are in periods 4 and greater. This seems to be a definition that should be generally useful. It may also be stated as the transition and post-transition metals." [silver is a transition metal - Ivan] http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/1997/Nov/abs1374.html "heavy metal In the human health context, heavy metals are transition metal elements in the sixth and heavier periods [ silver is in the fifth period - Ivan ], which should be present only in small quantities. Like lead Pb) and mercury (Hg), for instance. In microelectronics, heavy metals are period four and six transition metals that are troublesome contaminants because of their electrical properties. Au (see Gold) and Pt are lifetime killers in Si. Fe, Cu, Ni, and Cr, in period IV, have atomic weights in the range 51 to 63, or about twice that of Si. They're at the top of the famous curve of (nuclear) binding energy, so they're rather common. Because the conventional definitions include only transition metals, they exclude, amusingly, barium (Ba), whose name means heavy." http://www.plexoft.com/SBF/H01.html "The term heavy metal has apparently arisen as a convenience among policy makers for referring to metals with potential toxicity. Cadmium, mercury, lead and bismuth are often mentioned, partly because human activities have increased their concentration in the environment. Other metals are also associated with health problems. On the other hand, all are not, gold being an example because it cannot be easily absorbed by the body. Moreover, even light metals may cause health problems. A scientific definition of heavy metal might be based on whether a metal has a lower or higher density than its oxide. The dividing line in the periodic table will then go through titanium, which has several oxides, some of which are heavier and some lighter than pure titanium. Another approach defines heavy metal as one that has a density greater that 6.0 grams per cubic centimetre. Thereby, metals heavier than vanadium would be heavy metals [ silver is heavier than vanadium, as is magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and other essential metals - Ivan ], thus including most of the commercial metals." http://206.191.21.210/icme/q&as/qav5n4.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, 7 July 2000 10:56 Subject: CS>heavy metal > Hi, Bob, > Can you refer me to documentation that says silver is NOT a heavy metal. > Someone is disputing it, and I am ignorant about these things. Thanks. -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
