EPA backs copper as microbe killer

Local hospitals testing effectiveness

Move over stainless steel. Copper is becoming the metal of choice for sanitation.

Copper reduces the lifespan of infection-causing organisms, which can linger on hospital doorknobs and bed rails for days, to a mere couple hours. While scientists aren't sure how the metal works, they are taking note.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved five copper alloy products as "anti-microbial," which will be fabricated into numerous products, including intravenous poles, hand rails and shower heads.

The products, registered to the Copper Development Association, make public health claims that have been reviewed by the EPA, said Dale Kemery, EPA press officer.

The federal agency regulates pesticides, including those that fight microbes, especially disease-causing bacteria. Those that meet the agency's scientific rigor are granted a "registration" that allows their sale and use according to directions.

The announcement affirms what researchers at Medical University of South Carolina already suspected, said Dr. Cassandra Salgado, medical director of infection control.

MUSC, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York are testing copper for its ability to fight the microscopic bacteria that can infect surgery sites and IV lines.

"For some time we have been dedicated to reducing these worrisome organisms in our hospitals," Salgado said.

One nasty bacteria that has gained national media attention is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a staph infection that is resistant to some types of antibiotics.

Hospital-associated MRSA infections were twice as high as previously thought, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in October 2007. The study estimated that 94,000 Americans were made seriously ill and 19,000 killed in 2005 by the bacteria.

Studies show that the "super-bug" remains alive on stainless steel surfaces for days. On copper, more than 99 percent of the bacteria died within two hours. Copper continued to kill more than 99 percent of bacteria during repeated contaminations, the Copper Development Association said.

Tests conducted according to EPA standards confirmed that copper, brasses and bronzes are effective against a number of disease-causing bacteria, including MRSA.

Using copper to fight organisms is not new, Salgado said. It's been used for years to sterilize water in pipes.

The research group including MUSC and the VA completed baseline cultures of patient room surfaces and the data is being compiled, Salgado said.

The next step is to cover rooms with copper, and then compare the data. Participating hospitals hope to complete the study before 2010, Salgado said.

Reach Jill Coley at 937-5719 or jcoley@postandcourier.com.