<p>Monitoring results from UK groundwaters 1996-2007, Silver:</p>

<p>Sites 2929</p>

<p>Samples 19420</p>

<p>Min &lt;0.04 µg/l</p>

<p>Max 79.6 µg/l</p>

<p>Average 0.457 µg/l</p>

<p><a href="http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/research/completed-research/reports/DWI70_2_215_Monitoring_Data.pdf">Source - Defra</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Routine monitoring for trace elements in drinking water is only
  conducted for the elements specified in the Water Supply (Water
  Quality) Regulations. Specified elements include antimony, arsenic,
  boron, cadmium, chloride, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, lead,
  manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium and sodium. Monitoring for other
  elements will only normally be conducted in response to specific
  identified risk. Recently DWI has funded investigations of uranium1
  and molybdenum2 in drinking water in response to recent developments
  in WHO guideline values. Both these studies showed a good level of
  compliance should the WHO guideline value be adopted as a standard.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Also...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Water companies also conduct raw water monitoring and these results
  are reported to Drinking Water Inspectorate. Preliminary analysis suggests most of the 
  raw water monitoring relates to elements already covered by the
  regulations but a few companies monitor for additional elements in raw
  water. A summary of the additional elements and (number of companies
  monitoring). Silver (4).</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&amp;Module=More&amp;Location=None&amp;Completed=0&amp;ProjectID=17665">Source - Defra 2</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Average silver concentrations in natural waters are 0.2-0.3 µg/litre.
  Silver levels in drinking-water in the USA that had not been treated
  with silver for disinfection purposes varied between "non-detectable"
  and 5 µg/litre. In a survey of Canadian tapwater, only 0.1% of the
  samples contained more than 1-5 µg of silver per litre. Water treated
  with silver may have levels of 50 µg/litre or higher; most of the
  silver will be present as nondissociated silver chloride.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/silver.pdf">Source - WHO</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-29T18:11:15.817Z
The minimum and maximum are probably an effect of lithologies that the water was in contact with. Would be interesting to see those measurements on a map. The average could be somewhat misleading depending on the area of interest. The question should still outline this.
tobias47n9e
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T13:21:21.750Z
The BGS did have a program of geochemical mapping. The basic atlas information and purchase links for the maps are here: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/gbase/geochemicalMaps.html The element sampling included silver (Ag).
winwaed
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-29T16:28:50.853Z
2014-04-29T18:28:15.653Z
2014-04-29T18:28:15.653Z
Siv
<p>Can anyone tell me the concentration of silver in uncontaminated water ways, or treated tap water in the united kingdom? sources would be desirable too</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-29T16:36:22.240Z
I would recommend a friendly letter to https://www.bgs.ac.uk/ - They might have a dataset. Otherwise try to ask local water management companies. It would help the question if you could include what you want to do with the data.
tobias47n9e
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-30T13:21:45.857Z
They do, see: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/gbase/geochemicalMaps.html
winwaed
<ocean><geochemistry>
What is the concentration of silver in tap or freshwater in the United kingdom
user309
# What is the concentration of silver in tap or freshwater in the United kingdom

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-29)

Can anyone tell me the concentration of silver in uncontaminated water ways, or treated tap water in the united kingdom? sources would be desirable too

**Tags:** ocean, geochemistry

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I would recommend a friendly letter to https://www.bgs.ac.uk/ - They might have a dataset. Otherwise try to ask local water management companies. It would help the question if you could include what you want to do with the data.  
> **username_2**: They do, see: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/gbase/geochemicalMaps.html  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-29. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Monitoring results from UK groundwaters 1996-2007, Silver:

Sites 2929

Samples 19420

Min <0.04 µg/l

Max 79.6 µg/l

Average 0.457 µg/l

[Source - Defra](http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/research/completed-research/reports/DWI70_2_215_Monitoring_Data.pdf)

> Routine monitoring for trace elements in drinking water is only
> conducted for the elements specified in the Water Supply (Water
> Quality) Regulations. Specified elements include antimony, arsenic,
> boron, cadmium, chloride, chromium, copper, fluoride, iron, lead,
> manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium and sodium. Monitoring for other
> elements will only normally be conducted in response to specific
> identified risk. Recently DWI has funded investigations of uranium1
> and molybdenum2 in drinking water in response to recent developments
> in WHO guideline values. Both these studies showed a good level of
> compliance should the WHO guideline value be adopted as a standard.

Also...

> Water companies also conduct raw water monitoring and these results
> are reported to Drinking Water Inspectorate. Preliminary analysis suggests most of the
> raw water monitoring relates to elements already covered by the
> regulations but a few companies monitor for additional elements in raw
> water. A summary of the additional elements and (number of companies
> monitoring). Silver (4).

[Source - Defra 2](http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=17665)

> Average silver concentrations in natural waters are 0.2-0.3 µg/litre.
> Silver levels in drinking-water in the USA that had not been treated
> with silver for disinfection purposes varied between "non-detectable"
> and 5 µg/litre. In a survey of Canadian tapwater, only 0.1% of the
> samples contained more than 1-5 µg of silver per litre. Water treated
> with silver may have levels of 50 µg/litre or higher; most of the
> silver will be present as nondissociated silver chloride.

[Source - WHO](http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/silver.pdf)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The minimum and maximum are probably an effect of lithologies that the water was in contact with. Would be interesting to see those measurements on a map. The average could be somewhat misleading depending on the area of interest. The question should still outline this.  
> **username_2**: The BGS did have a program of geochemical mapping. The basic atlas information and purchase links for the maps are here: http://www.bgs.ac.uk/gbase/geochemicalMaps.html The element sampling included silver (Ag).  

---

