Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces can prevent frequently touched surfaces from serving as reservoirs for the spread of pathogenic microbes. This is especially true in healthcare facilities, where harmful viruses, bacteria, and fungi colonize and persist on doorknobs, push plates, railings, tray tables, tap (faucet) handles, IV poles, HVAC systems, and other equipment. These microbes can often survive on surfaces for surprisingly long periods of time (sometimes more than 30 days). The surfaces of copper and its alloys, such as brass and bronze, are antimicrobial. They have an inherent ability to kill a wide range of harmful
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. An alloy of 90% Cu 10% Ni significantly lowered the microbial burden, primarily "Staphylococci", on arm surfaces of phlebotomy chairs versus wooden arm surfaces. The median reduction for total bacteria on the copper alloy chairs arms was 90%. Use of the chair with copper arm tops resulted in a 17-fold lower risk of exposure to environmental microbes than when patients used the standard chair. The majority of the samples from the chairs with copper components were below the 500 CFU/cm level believed to represent a risk to hospital patients. The microbiocidal properties of the