Antimicrobial CopperFact 4 of 12
Initial studies at the University of Southampton, UK, and tests subsequently performed at ATS-Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, for the EPA show that copper-base alloys containing 65% or more copper are effective against:
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE)
- Enterobacter aerogenes
- Escherichia coli O157:H7
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
These bacteria are considered to be representative of the most dangerous pathogens capable of causing severe and often fatal infections.
The EPA studies show that on copper alloy surfaces, greater than 99.9% of MRSA, as well as the other bacteria shown above, are killed within two hours at room temperature.
