http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Copper-slashes-risk-of-hospital-infections/articleshow/9087032.cms Interesting article about copper's anti-bacterial properties in this study. If hospitals worldwide start using more copper in their facilities, would the overall demand be enough to push prices up? Outside of hospitals, there could also be demand in public places such as hotels where the anti-bacterial properties could result in more copper alloyed surfaces that are frequently touched (door knobs, etc). Silver also has anti-bacterial properties, but copper would be less expensive.
I was not aware copper also had antibacterial properties. This particular aspect of demand with silver is only a small portion so while I would expect copper to replace silver in these applications I don't think it will amount to a noticeable price swing for either metal. I found reports from as old as 2000 that detailed this about copper so I find it odd that this is not already the case unless there (likely) are differences in the fine details.
Zinc also has strong antibacterial properties. There are numerous articles out there about it. Maybe they should be using zincolns in stead of just plain copper.
The problem is that copper and silver has to be in an available active state. Solubility is one thing which enhances the olioodynamic activity of copper and silver. Copper containing paint has been used on hulls of ships ( well until they became a possible water contamination problem for the ocean life) to prevent microbial growth. I imagine the expense of keeping the hospital copper free from corrosion would be a lot of acid baths and hard labor. You can't put lacquer or wax over it, as the antimicrobial effects would not be on the surface. Also the microorganisms have to be on the copper for a while to be affected. If a patient coughs TB spittle on it, don't lick it for a very very long time. IMO.
Zinc corrodes faster than copper, and silver the least, but the silver has to be fresh ( no tarnish, maybe a lot of dip) to work/ Back when silver was still in circulation, early 70s, I would have students put a clad dime, silver dime, and a copper cent on an agar plate with Staph, one plate with out of pocket change and another with cleaned, shiney scrubbed coins. I am sure you can guess the results. One the first plate, bacteria grew on the clad and copper cent from pocket change, the silver dime a little ring of inhibition due to soluble silver. The cleaned coins plate showed no action on the clad, a little more for the cent, and a wide range for silver. As a very very young child I remember the doctor ( who couldn't use penicillin the miracle drug except on death cases) swabbed my throat with silver nitrate to kill the bacteria. Of course it turned black if you opened your mouth to the sun for a period of time.........how fun for a 6 yo., but it killed the infection. Don't try this at home!!
brass has the same properties as copper and zinc since brass =copper + zinc. This is why for centuries water supply pipes have been made of COPPER and faucets have been of BRASS. this is nothing new and I doubt it will increase the use of copper. in fact more and more copper is not used in new homes for water lines since PEX is easier to work with and cheaper then copper. I forgot to add this is also why traditionally door knobs are also made of brass.
I was being facetious about the pennies, but not about the zinc. Did you read the article cited? They are actually using it - successfully. BTW, it is actually brass or bronze. i.e. the copper is most usually alloyed with zinc.
The most common bronze is merely copper and tin, but many also contain zinc and/or several other metals.
Yes, I read the article. But what happens in a controlled experiment is very often different in actual practice. The principle has been known for more than a century. Notice the nice bright copper surfaces in the photo, they have to stay that way with no coating. I didn't say it wouldn't work under the best situations, but a blind study needed to be done with copper covered with acrylic film or something so the cleaners and medical staff didn't know which was the test. Actually, the copper covering could be microscopic in thickness and useful for a long time ( if kept untarnished). I guess one could tape new cents with pure copper clad to surface outbreaks of flesh eating bacteria, but I prefer one of the newer antibiotics myself. IMO. The amount of use wouldn't move the copper price. IMO.
Indeed. They would have to keep nice, fresh surfaces on the copper and it would require a lot of effort. They use stainless steel for hospital equipment because it doesn't corrode and it's easy to care for. With copper, workers hands would become black and green.....patients would kind of freak. LOL I wonder if some of the test results were due to the workers hands being impregnated with copper ions from handling the items? Jim - I once let a friend swab my tonsils with an iodine solution he made in the lab. ARRGGGG....that was wicked, I nearly passed out, but it killed off the infection, probably strep. I was better the next day! Too bad I'm not brave enough to ever try it again. LOL
This is a tempting explanation, but remember, nobody knew that germs existed until the 19th century. Brass has been widely used for millennia because it's easy to make and fabricate, it's durable, and it looks nice. It's possible that its antibacterial properties were pronounced enough to "naturally select" for its use, but I'd want to see some supporting evidence.
They may not have know the science but they knew that when certain medals were used there was less illness.
BTW, pipes have only been in general use for a couple centuries. And, guess what the predominant metal was for the early pipes. They did a real great job of "naturally select". So wonderful that it took until the 1950's to get rid of most of it - or at least that is when my father pulled the remnants out of his house. Oh, and the material used so long was lead. Their "naturally select" took them down the road of no corrosion rather than health effects.
Well I'm sold. I'm only eating pennies to fight indigestion and clean my colon. Great health tips here. :goofer:
That's possible, but I haven't been able to find any objective sources supporting the claim. (The only places I've found this claim are sites pushing silver and copper, either in general or in the form of remedies.) If you have some, please share them; I'd be very interested in reading them. Remember, "they" also "knew" (in various times and places) that bathing and night air caused disease, and that perfumes could ward it off.
