How Colloidal Silver Kills Pathogens

Repost: 6/8/2026

by Ben Taylor

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A friend came across this explanation of the mechanism of how colloidal silver kills pathogens and I thought it worth posting. This corresponds with the information put out by Beiersdorf, one of the world’s largest medical supply companies and maker of Curad bandages. “Silver- How It Works: Silver inhibits the growth of bacteria by deactivating the bacteria’s oxygen metabolism enzymes. In turn, this destroys the bacteria’s cell membranes, stopping the replication of the bacteria’s DNA. Source- Acupoll Precision Research, April 2003 Beiersdorf, Inc.” Ben Taylor

Richard Davies and Samuel Etris of The Silver Institute, in a 1996 monograph entitled The Development and Functions of Silver in Water Purification and Disease Control, discuss three mechanisms of deactivation of how colloidal silver kills pathogens. They are:

1.) Catalytic Oxidation
2.) Reaction with Cell Membranes
3.) Binds with the DNA of disease organisms to prevent unwinding (i.e., replication)

Catalytic Oxidation

The mineral silver in colloidal silver, in its atomic state, has the capacity to absorb oxygen and act as a catalyst to bring about oxidation.

Atomic (nascent) oxygen absorbed onto the surface of colloidal silver ions in solution will readily react with the sulfhydryl (-S-H) groups surrounding the surface of bacteria or viruses to remove the hydrogen atoms (as water), causing the sulfur atoms to form an R-S-S-R bond; blocking respiration and causing the bacteria to expire.

Employing a simple catalytic reduction/oxidation reaction, colloidal silver kills pathogens by reacting with any negative charge presented by the organism’s transport or membrane proteins and deactivate them.

Colloidal Silver Reaction with Bacterial Cell Membranes

There is also evidence that colloidal silver kills pathogens when silver ions attach to membrane surface radicals of bacteria, impairing cell respiration and blocking its energy transfer system.

One explanation is based on the nature of enzyme construction: Specific enzymes are required for a given biochemical activity to take place. Enzyme molecules usually require a specific metallic atom as part of the molecular matrix in order to function. A metal of higher valance can replace a metal of lower valance in the enzyme complex, preventing the enzyme from functioning normally.

Silver in colloidal silver, with a valance of plus 2, can replace many metals with a lower, or equal valance that exhibit weaker atomic bonding properties.

Colloidal Silver Binding with DNA

Studies by C.L. Fox and S.M. Modak with the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a tenacious bacteria that is difficult to treat, demonstrated that as much as 12% of silver is taken up by the organism’s DNA.

While it remains unclear exactly how the silver binds to the DNA without destroying the hydrogen bonds holding the lattice together, it nevertheless prevents the DNA from unwinding, an essential step for cellular replication to occur.

In Simpler Terms…

So there you have it. Basically stated…

…Colloidal silver kills pathogens by oxidizing them, much as hydrogen peroxide does. Some researchers have referred to this as the creation of an “oxygen burst” when the silver particle comes into contact with the pathogen.

…Colloidal silver kills pathogens by attaching to the surface membrane, and disrupting the function of its energy transfer system while impairing respiration. Disrupted energy transfer and respiration means the pathogen simply cannot function. For all practical purposes it is “deactivated.”

…Finally, the coup de gras of how colloidal silver kills pathogens is by binding with their DNA, preventing them from replicating – if they can’t replicate, they can’t infect.