August 6, 2007
Congress has awarded funds to the Copper Development Association for two studies to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass, and bronze.
One study will focus on the ability of copper metals to kill deadly pathogens on touch surfaces in hospital facilities in New York City and Charleston, SC. The other will focus on the effectiveness of copper components in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems at Fort Jackson in Columbia, SC; Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Ga; and the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Recent peer-reviewed research conducted at the University of Southampton in the U.K. proves copper, brass, and bronze can quickly and efficiently eradicate several different pathogens which are the source of many hospital-acquired infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and e coli O157:H7.
The touch surfaces study will employ a series of three clinical trials to determine how well natural copper, brass, and bronze surfaces mitigate infectious microbes, decrease cross-contamination and ultimately help reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in patients.
The studies will be conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston.
The Copper Development Association is the information, education, market and technical development arm of the copper, brass and bronze industries in the USA.
