Silver-loading polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber was spun via the dry jet-wet spinning technique from a dope containing 0.5 wt.% silver nitrate. The morphology of the resulting hollow fibers was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Ag content in the fiber was measured using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometer. These hollow fibers had a five-layer structure and dense inner and outer surfaces. The average pore size was 20 nm and the silver content was 0.19 wt. % for the nascent hollow fibers. After flushing with water for 60 days, the silver content in the hollow fibers decreased to 0.1 wt.%, and still showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. On the other hand, by permeating water through the hollow fibers, silver content was decreased faster and may require periodical replenish. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.