Copper Alloys May Be Allies in Fight Against Germs
DISCLAIMER: The following article is based upon independent scientific research and is provided for informational purposes only. The conclusions reached in this article are the opinions of the researchers and authors. U.S. EPA-approved testing demonstrates antimicrobial effectiveness for copper alloys against only the following organisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). References to effectiveness against Legionella pneumophila has not been proven by U.S. EPA-approved testing and is only the product of initial exploratory testing. No claim of antimicrobial effectiveness is made, either express of implied, with regard to these organisms.
November 15, 2004
Before it was recognized that microorganisms existed, citizens of the early Roman Empire used copper piping to improve public hygiene. They observed that water delivered through copper was safe to drink and that copper utensils and cookware helped to prevent the spread of disease. Much later, after microbes were discovered and the germ theory of infection linked bacteria and other microorganisms to infection and disease, scientists began to understand how coppers antimicrobial properties could be harnessed to provide additional benefits. Today, the antimicrobial uses of copper have been expanded to include fungicides, pesticides, antifouling paints, antimicrobial medicines, oral hygiene products, hygienic medical devices, antiseptics and a host of other useful applications.
Much is known about the antimicrobial effects of copper in the inactivation of L. pneumophila, a principal agent of Legionnaires disease. Legionnaires disease has long been a priority for A.S.S.E., and this article discusses its importance to public health in relation to water systems. Recent scientific investigations have also demonstrated the efficacy of copper and copper alloys to inactivate other harmful microbes. These include methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) the deadly pathogen that has become a primary concern of healthcare administrators today. Similar studies have been conducted on E. coli O157:H7, a food- and waterborne bacterium that can cause severe illness and death, and Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that originates in soil and water and is spread during food handling.
This article is intended to bring you up-to-date on the most recent laboratory findings confirming the efficacy of coppers intrinsic ability to inactivate deadly pathogens. No studies have been done on in-service plumbing applications; we are reporting here the results of laboratory studies done over the past several years that may help determine and develop applications for copper alloys which would contribute to public health.
