Metallic Copper as an Antimicrobial Surface
By G. Grass, C. Rensing, M. Solioz. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010
1,355 citations recorded by the source corpus.
ABSTRACT Bacteria, yeasts, and viruses are rapidly killed on metallic copper surfaces, and the term “contact killing” has been coined for this process. While the phenomenon was already known in ancient times, it is currently receiving renewed attention. This is due to the potential use of copper as an antibacterial material in health care settings. Contact killing was observed to take place at a rate of at least 7 to 8 logs per hour, and no live microorganisms were generally recovered from copper surfaces after prolonged incubation. The antimicrobial activity of copper and copper alloys is now well established, and copper has recently been registered at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the first solid antimicrobial material. In several clinical studies, copper has been evaluated for use on touch surfaces, such as door handles, bathroom fixtures, or bed rails, in attempts to curb nosocomial infections. In connection to these new applications of copper, it is important to understand the mechanism of contact killing since it may bear on central issues, such as the possibility of the emergence and spread of resistant organisms, cleaning procedures, and questions of material and object engineering. Recent work has shed light on mechanistic aspects of contact killing. These findings will be reviewed here and juxtaposed with the toxicity mechanisms of ionic copper. The merit of copper as a hygienic material in hospitals and related settings will also be discussed.
Subfields: Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, Organic Chemistry
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/f41afca40d7b781c4bbae64858cfb82fef9afa28
How researchers see this paper
The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.
In Organic Chemistry
Citations in the corpus
- Microbial fuel cells: An overview of current technology (2019, background): “for implementation as surface coatings for medical devices/equipment [190-192].”
- Copper-containing mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds with multifunctional properties of angiogenesis capacity, osteostimulation and antibacterial activity. (2013, background): “The extremely reactive hydroxyl radical can participate in a number of reactions detrimental to the molecules, such as the oxidation of proteins and lipids, and therefore resulting potential antibacterial effect [54].”
- Insights into Cronobacter sakazakii Biofilm Formation and Control Strategies in the Food Industry (2020, neutral): “and subsequent damage to iron-sulfur proteins [86].”
- Antimicrobial Polymers with Metal Nanoparticles (2015, background): “(b) Mechanisms based on the donor atom selectivity and/or speciation of metals: metal ions in general bind to some atoms of donor ligands, such as O, N and S, through strong and selective interactions [1,29].”