The Wall Street Journal says Antimicrobial Copper is winning fans in healthcare because it keeps killing bacteria.
A recent major article in the respected Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says copper “is good for your health” and that “more than 150 health-care and other facilities have installed antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces manufactured in the U.S. since 2011.”
The article goes on to point out “Copper is used in everything from construction to electrical wiring, but it also has antimicrobial properties that kill 99.9% of bacteria on its surface within two hours, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That makes it a potential weapon for combating the spread of infections in hospitals and public areas.”
“Antimicrobial copper kills bacteria by drawing electrons out of the cell and pumping copper ions in. The cell’s membrane collapses, it loses nutrients and water, and its DNA and proteins are destroyed.”
Copper is certified to kill six types of bacteria, including Methicillin resistant golden staph staphylococcus aureus, or MSRA, E-coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterobacteria aerogenes.
The article points out that while Antimicrobial Copper has established a market in healthcare, it “is gradually making its way into a variety of applications outside of health-care, too, such as public transportation, training facilities, private households and airports.”
Full article: http://www.wsj.com/articles/paging-doctor-copper-metal-wins-fans-in-health-care-1469478343