Antimicrobial Copper: EPA-Registered Antimicrobial Properties, Facts and Uses

In February 2008 the US EPA registered 275 antimicrobial copper alloys; by April 2011 the number had grown to 355;

This permits public-health claims that copper, brass and bronze surfaces kill harmful, potentially deadly bacteria;

Copper is the first solid surface material to receive this type of EPA registration, based on extensive antimicrobial efficacy testing.

Per EPA-registered independent laboratory tests: when cleaned regularly, copper, brass and bronze kill greater than 99.9% of the following bacteria within 2 hours of exposure at room temperature: MRSA, VRE (E. faecalis), S. aureus, E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa and E. coli O157:H7;

Alloys containing 65% or more copper are effective against these pathogens;

The efficacy is an intrinsic property of the metal - it does not wear away like a coating and remains effective even when scratched.

The CDC estimates hospital-acquired infections affect about two million patients a year in the US, with nearly 100,000 deaths;

Copper alloy surfaces on frequently touched items - door and furniture hardware, bed rails, over-bed trays, IV stands, dispensers, faucets, sinks and workstations - can help reduce disease-causing bacteria as a supplement to CDC-prescribed hand-washing and disinfection regimens;

Congressionally funded clinical trials began at three US hospitals in 2007, evaluating antimicrobial copper against MRSA, VRE and A. baumannii; further studies cover Legionella, Rotavirus, Influenza A, Salmonella, Campylobacter and others.

HVAC: copper heat-exchanger tubes, fins and condensate pans resist microbial growth in dark, damp systems; copper tube helps control Legionnaires' disease;

Agriculture: the Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfate + lime) history shows copper's long use against fungal disease;

Water: brass water vessels reduce E. coli to undetectable levels within 48 hours in laboratory tests.