How are humans exposed to silver from the ambient environment?
Humans are exposed to trace amounts of silver in the environment through the air and water, and from ingestion of foods. It should be remembered that all metals are elements which occur naturally in the environment and thus trace amounts are present in most environmental media (air, water, soil). For humans, the primary source of exposure is from ingestion of foods that contain trace amounts of silver. Exposure via drinking water is very slight and inhalation of silver in the air, except in some occupational settings, is virtually nonexistent. Even assuming maximum exposure estimates from air, water, and food sources, human daily exposure is still well below recommended EPA exposure limits.
