Hope for UK as US adopts antimicrobial copper alloy

The call from Warren Bartel, an industry expert in copper, comes as the US Environmental Protection Agency approves the registration of copper alloys as a supplement to standard preventative measures in eliminating specific disease-causing bacteria such as MRSA.

The announcement is the first of its kind. It makes copper the only commercially available solid-surface material with EPA public health registration and allows US manufacturers to claim antimicrobial efficacy.

Independent laboratory tests have confirmed that copper alloys eliminate more than 99.9% of bacterial contamination within two hours of exposure, opening a wealth of possibilities for surfaces and fittings in hospitals and other sterile environments.

‘When considering the cost of preventative measures or treatment for these diseases, copper may become the low-cost, environmentally friendly solution,’ said Bartel, a senior vice president and senior advisor of international metal components supplier the Luvata Group.

Studies show that simply cleaning surface areas does not eliminate all bacteria. Despite the prevalence of infection-control measures, such as antimicrobial soaps, sanitiser gels, chemicals and disinfectants, contaminated surface areas can still cause the spread of infection at an alarming rate.

Copper alloys continually eliminate bacteria and, unlike surface coatings or additives, the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of copper alloys cannot wear off or be removed. Homogeneous and solid copper alloys therefore provide a lifetime of efficacy and durability.

Such products are particularly effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

According to Bartel: ‘Copper alloys used for various touch surfaces, including door handles, bedrails, and bathroom surfaces, in combination with current infection-control practices, can help reduce this number. Additional applications may include pharmaceutical-processing facilities.’

Specifically, the University of Southampton tested the viability of MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant ‘superbug’, on several copper alloys and found that pure copper can eliminate a concentration of 107 of these organisms within 90 minutes.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates that ‘superbugs’, such as MRSA, continue to be a growing problem, with hospital-acquired infections affecting nearly two million people and causing approximately 100,000 deaths each year. Official figures from the UK National Audit Office put the number of infections at 300,000 per year, with fatalities at 8,000 per year.