Canada is testing how well copper coatings on high touch areas in public transport work against the spread of infection in what’s hoped to bring benefits long past the current pandemic.
The 4 week pilot project will install copper surfaces on two buses on high-ridership routes and two SkyTrain cars on the Expo and Millennium Lines. Another protective surface called “organosilane” will also be tested.
The surfaces will be swabbed twice a week and tested to determine antimicrobial effectiveness of the products. At the end of one month, the surfaces will also be assessed for durability.
The Vancouver study is being funded by copper miner Teck Resources in partnership with transit company TransLink, the first North American mass transport group to measure copper’s effectiveness.
“Any findings from this pilot project will be shared with our fellow transit agency colleagues and other industries which may be able to use this emerging technology,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond.
Other partners include Vancouver Coastal Health, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction (CHAIR) and the University of British Columbia.