CAPITAL: The Voice of Business Issue 1, 2015 | Page 73

COPPER
founded: there is growing evidence of
copper’s health benefits and the scientific
literature is full of studies that show truly
amazing results.
The Boston Standard reported recently
that antimicrobial copper has been
“included as an emerging technology
in the latest National Evidence-Based
Guidelines for Preventing HealthcareAssociated Infections in NHS Hospitals, with
studies showing >80% less contamination
on copper surfaces than non-copper
equivalents” The report added that “results
.
from a U.S. clinical trial, funded by the
Department of Defense, further observed
a 58% reduction in intensive care unit
patients’ risk of acquiring a healthcareassociated infection when just six key touch
surfaces in their rooms were replaced with
antimicrobial copper items”
.

Hospital-acquired
infections (HAIs) ‘kill
more folks than HIV and
breast cancer combined’.
They are the sixth
leading cause of death in
the United States.
Copper is even effective against drugresistant microbes. A 2008 South African
study by Mehtar, Wiid and Todorov in
the Journal of Hospital Infection showed
that some of the superbugs that copper
destroys
include
antibiotic-resistant
bacteria responsible for several difficult-

No other material comes even close
to antimicrobial copper’s performance
Antimicrobial copper
Stainless steel

Silver-containing coating A
Silver-containing coating B

Triclosan-containing plastic

Antimicrobial effectiveness under typical indoor conditions
CFU (Colony Forming Units) of MRSA
Millions
15
14
13
12
11
10
09
08
07
06
05
04
03
02
01
0
30 60
90
180

Antimicrobial copper
is scientifically proven
to be the most effective
touch-surface material,
killing more than 99.9%
of bacteria.
No other material, such
as silver-containing
coatings or stainless
steel, comes close.

270

360

Minutes

GRAPHIC: Supplied.
Capital | Issue 1 |

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