Something new - biology / genomics / genetics / molecular bio questions answered

[bb113]

I wonder if potassium chloride is a better antimicrobial  than sodium chloride since a significant portion gives off alpha particles. I once got a gieger counter and a bunch of the stuff and sure enough it was radioactive. Later there was a dead spider found in the salt.

[kxxxmxxx]

I wonder if potassium chloride is a better antimicrobial  than sodium chloride since a significant portion gives off alpha particles. I once got a gieger counter and a bunch of the stuff and sure enough it was radioactive. Later there was a dead spider found in the salt.

I had to check it out. It works! I got elevated counts, nothing spectacular though. Potassium 40K, which is just 0.012% is a long-term radioactive nuclid. But I doubt that it is high enough to kill any bacteria. Those guys are very radiation resistant.
Also, rubidium chloride, which used to be commonly used in molecular biology is even more radioactive.

[whitenight639]

I wonder if potassium chloride is a better antimicrobial  than sodium chloride since a significant portion gives off alpha particles. I once got a gieger counter and a bunch of the stuff and sure enough it was radioactive. Later there was a dead spider found in the salt.

I had to check it out. It works! I got elevated counts, nothing spectacular though. Potassium 40K, which is just 0.012% is a long-term radioactive nuclid. But I doubt that it is high enough to kill any bacteria. Those guys are very radiation resistant.
Also, rubidium chloride, which used to be commonly used in molecular biology is even more radioactive.

Is it really true that suspended or "colloidal / ionic" silver is anti microbial? that say copper is also anti microbial in normal metallic form, also atomised citrus oils. I don't know where i read these things or why i remember them.

[kxxxmxxx]

Is it really true that suspended or "colloidal / ionic" silver is anti microbial? that say copper is also anti microbial in normal metallic form, also atomised citrus oils. I don't know where i read these things or why i remember them.

Yes for silver and copper. To what extent I do not know (= I do not know what dose to use and how - sprinkle on surface?).

Noteworthy, copper is also used on intrauterine contraceptive devices as well. They are designed to have specific surface area to release copper cations in order to kill (or at least inhibit) sperm and therefore fertilization.

Citrus oils - seems so. Here is one link to abstract about it:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23381618
Though the concentration looks bit high compared to for example antibiotics.

As if to use colloidal silver by ingestion, I would say no. I do not use it. You can turn blue from high doses. Ok, seriously, that's true.
And in the end, all of it would sound differently if someone would try to sell colloidal lead and try to say its beneficial.

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