Adam Estelle, a graduate from the University of Arizona’s material science and engineering program and current employee of the non-profit trade entity, Copper Development Association, has worked on a project involving copper alloy that has the capability to kill fungi, virus and bacteria.
Roberto del Rio Children's Hospital, the oldest pediatric facility in Chile, installed antimicrobial copper surfaces in its intensive care and treatment rooms to reduce the risk of infection (Credit: Unievrsity of Arizona College of Engineerign and Copper Development Associates)
The technology employed allows the metals to be shaped into any structure such as sinks, IV poles, bed rails and other structures commonly found in hospitals and prone to frequent touching. The surfaces of these frequently touched structures in hospitals are usually teeming with microorganisms that cause a host of diseases. The deceptively benign surfaces that are the primary source of hospital acquired infections are ranked as the fourth major reason for mortality in the US. The statics reveal that the contraction of infection is 1 for every 20 patients admitted to hospitals.
A recent study by the University of Arizona reveals that 99.9% of microorganisms present on surfaces consisting of a minimum 60% copper die within two hours as opposed to the two weeks that they survive on stainless steel surfaces. Estelle and his colleagues at Copper Development Association have been extending efforts to promote the germ-killing copper alloys to the healthcare sector. They have also been involved in supporting manufacturers to be ready to manufacture products made of copper alloy. In line with this initiative, Estelle and team have also gained the EPA certification validating the antimicrobial effects of copper. This will allow manufacturers to publicize the health benefits of their copper alloy products. Estelle has also been involved in the retrofitting of the Charleston-based Ronald McDonald House with copper alloy sinks, doors, railings, chairs, faucets, etc. Swab tests on these surfaces before and after copper alloy retrofitting indicated that copper alloy reduced bacterial presence by 94%. The technology not only reduces patient mortality from hospital acquired infections but also helps in cost savings from reduced infection treatment.