In 1998 alone there were 25 outbreaks, the highest number since 1992. Chlorine, a chemical used to treat water in swimming pools, is increasingly coming under fire for the carcinogenic byproducts it leaves in water.
Silver offers a healthy alternative.
The metal has long been known for its biocidal properties, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Silver Institute. In fact, the Ancient Phoenicians, who stored wine in silver urns to preserve it, provide one of the earliest recorded examples of the metal's use for water purification. The quest for healthful, odor-free swimming pools began in the 1930s. The discovery that silver and copper ions generated by a mild electric current would adequately sanitize private swimming pools led to serious interest in silver sanitation. New research into silver compounds is providing physicians with powerful, clinically effective treatments against which bacteria cannot develop resistance.