Metallic Copper as an Antimicrobial Surface

Bacteria, yeasts, and viruses are rapidly killed on metallic copper surfaces, and the term "contact killing" has been coined for this process. While the phenomenon was already known in ancient times, it is currently receiving renewed attention. This is due to the potential use of copper as an antibacterial material in health care settings. Contact killing was observed to take place at a rate of at least 7 to 8 logs per hour, and no live microorganisms were generally recovered from copper surfaces after prolonged incubation. The antimicrobial activity of copper and copper alloys is now well established, and copper has recently been registered at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the first solid…

• FF
  Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
• MU
  Medical University of South Carolina
• IC
  International Copper Association
• UO
  University of South Africa
• NI
  National Institutes of Health