Antimicrobial Properties of Selected Copper Alloys on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Different Simulations of Environmental Conditions: With vs. without Organic Contamination

Anna Różańska, Agnieszka Chmielarczyk, Dorota Romaniszyn, Agnieszka Sroka-Oleksiak, Małgorzata Bulanda, Monika Walkowicz, Piotr Osuch and Tadeusz Knych
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Anna Różańska: Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta str. 18, 31-121 Kraków, Poland
Agnieszka Chmielarczyk: Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta str. 18, 31-121 Kraków, Poland
Dorota Romaniszyn: Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta str. 18, 31-121 Kraków, Poland
Agnieszka Sroka-Oleksiak: Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta str. 18, 31-121 Kraków, Poland
Małgorzata Bulanda: Faculty of Medicine, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Czysta str. 18, 31-121 Kraków, Poland
Monika Walkowicz: Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, Department of Metal Working and Physical Metallurgy of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Piotr Osuch: Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, Department of Metal Working and Physical Metallurgy of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Tadeusz Knych: Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, Department of Metal Working and Physical Metallurgy of Non-Ferrous Metals, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Background: Hospital equipment made from copper alloys can play an important role in complementing traditional methods of disinfection. Aims of the study: The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of the antimicrobial properties of selected copper alloys in different simulations of environmental conditions (with organic contamination vs. without organic contamination), and to test alternatives to the currently used testing methods. Materials and Methods: A modification of Japanese standard JIS Z 2801 as well as Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Escherichia coli (EC) suspended in NaCl vs. tryptic soy broth (TSB) were used in tests performed on seven commonly used copper alloys, copper, and stainless steel. Results: A much faster reduction of the bacterial suspension was observed for the inoculum prepared in NaCl than in TSB. A faster reduction for EC than for SA was observed in the inoculum prepared in NaCl. The opposite results were found for the inoculum based on TSB. A significant correlation between the copper concentration in the copper alloys and the time and degree of bacterial suspension reduction was only observed in the case of EC. Conclusions: This study confirmed the antimicrobial properties of copper alloys, and additionally showed that Staphylococcus aureus was more resistant than Escherichia coli in the variant of the experiment without organic contamination. However, even for SA, a total reduction of the bacterial inoculum’s density took no longer than 2 h. Under conditions simulating organic contamination, all of the tested alloys were shown to have bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties, which was contrary to the results from stainless steel.

Keywords: antimicrobial copper; hospital environment; Staphylococcus aureus; Escherichia coli; environmental disinfection; patient safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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