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HEALTH AND SANITATION
Antimicrobial( Part 2)
I recently attended a seminar and was very surprised to learn that a national paint company has just formulated and released a paint that has antimicrobial properties in its mixture.
By Andy Camphausen
Andrew Camphausen
Andy has been in the building / plumbing industry for over 20 years. In the course of his six years in the Free State, he was nominated and served as vice-chair of IOPSA Free State. During his 12 years with the company, he served as a regional manager and now holds the position of national technical support manager at LIXIL Africa. Andy is very passionate about our country and believes it is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation of plumbers is adequately trained. He takes pride in working for a local manufacturer and believes that customer centricity is the key to success.
This new product will be particularly useful in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ rooms, and waiting rooms, or any other health care situation where people touch surfaces.
To this end, there are a few questions with regard to copper and alloys, with answers on which to ponder:
Where does copper come from? Copper is mined from ore, which is found naturally in the earth. South Africa only has a small portion of copper mining, but the bigger countries include Chile, China, Peru, US, and Australia.
Is copper recyclable? When posing this question, I had to ask myself whether I would want to answer it. Copper is one of the few materials that can be recycled over and over without any loss in performance. It is reported that two-thirds of the copper produced since 1900 is still in use today.
What are copper alloys? An alloy is created when a metal is mixed with one or more elements. Copper is mixed with zinc to attain brass. As zinc is a harder metal than copper, the integrity of a tap can be sustained using brass.
Copper and copper alloy touch surfaces have been installed in hospitals across the world.
Does copper have antimicrobial properties? Yes. The human race has exploited the antimicrobial properties of copper since the dawn of civilisation. Copper has rapid, broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy against some of the most toxic species of bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Are the antimicrobial copper surfaces coated?
• No, the antimicrobial property of copper is intrinsic to the metal. Copper never wears away or becomes depleted from the surface, unlike a coating.
• To maintain antimicrobial effectiveness, oils, waxes, glosses, paints, nickel-coloured coatings, or any other coating must NOT be applied.
Are copper plating and coating effective too?
• While coatings and plating may initially display antimicrobial properties, they are susceptible to wear and tear, and scratched surfaces may harbour germs.
• Surfaces made from solid copper and copper alloys are genuinely antimicrobial.
How can copper improve patient safety in hospitals and clinics? We have all heard the dreaded stories of people entering a hospital for some or other ailment, but when leaving the hospital or clinic, they have picked up some germ or virus found in the hospital. Antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces have been shown to reduce microbial contamination in-between routine cleaning and disinfection, making them a useful additional measure to improve hygiene.
Antimicrobial Touch Surfaces
How is copper currently used as an antimicrobial agent?
• Copper is an active ingredient in many different types of antimicrobial products in agriculture, marine environments, health care, and the home. Copper is an active ingredient in anti-plaque mouthwashes and toothpastes.
• Copper scourers for pots and pans can help prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen.
• Recently, copper and copper alloy touch surfaces have also been installed in hospitals across the world.
January 2018 Volume 23 I Number 11 www. plumbingafrica. co. za