Registered after rigorous testing by the US EPA

Antimicrobial Copper is the only class of solid touch surfaces registered by the US EPA to continuously kill bacteria* that cause infections and pose a risk to human health.

After many years of independent laboratory testing, followed by additional rigorous testing under US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved protocols, 275 copper alloys (including brass and bronze) were registered as public health antimicrobial products by U.S. EPA on February 29, 2008. The number of registered alloys has since been increased to 282. Public health products are intended to control microorganisms associated with infections or other adverse effects in humans.

Silver-containing coatings do not have public health registration from EPA.  These products are marketed under a "Treated Article Exemption" which means the antimicrobial additive only may protect the product itself from degradation and odor caused by non-specific organisms.

Silver-containing coatings do not continuously kill bacteria that cause infections.  Antimicrobial Copper surfaces do.

Official U.S. EPA Announcement of the Registration of Antimicrobial Copper Alloys

Antimicrobial Copper alloy products can claim to kill 99.9% of disease causing bacteria* within two hours, when cleaned regularly and as a supplement to routine cleaning and disinfection programmes.

EPA registration is a legal U.S. federal government decision acknowledging the efficacy of Antimicrobial Copper products against the 6 following disease-causing bacteria:

• E. coli O157:H7, a food-borne pathogen that has been associated with large-scale food recalls;
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of the most virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and a common culprit of hospital- and community-acquired infections;
• Staphylococcus aureus, the most common of all bacterial staphylococcus (i.e. staph) infections that can cause life-threatening diseases, including pneumonia and meningitis;
• Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), an antibiotic resistant organism responsible for 4% of all Healthcare-Associated Infection;
• Enterobacter aerogenes, a pathogenic bacterium commonly found in hospitals that causes opportunistic skin infections and impacts other body tissues; and,
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that infects the pulmonary tracts, urinary tracts, blood, and skin of immunocompromised individuals.

Unlike traditional antimicrobial products marketed with public health claims-typically gases, liquids, sprays, and concentrated powders-Antimicrobial Copper alloys are solid surface materials.

In the US, Antimicrobial Copper products can only be sold by registered manufacturers using registered copper alloys.

To view the registered public health claims, visit: Public Health Claims.

For further information, visit the US section of his website.