Antimicrobial Benefits of Copper Alloys

Abstract Laboratory tests conducted at the University of Southampton, UK, found that many species of bacteria including hospital superbugs, MRSA and VRE, are killed in less than 2 h on copper alloy surfaces. Tests conducted in a third-party lab subject to EPA audits confirmed these results, concluding that a range of copper alloy surfaces, such as brass, bronze, copper nickel, and nickel silver, achieve a 99.9% reduction of bacteria within 2 h of contact and that the effect is not impaired by tarnish. Other such tests have since been conducted and the results are presented in the article.