The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of copper and alloys for killing bacteria, including the antibiotic-resistance germs that are such a serious problem in hospitals.
The application from the Copper Development Association followed a four-year testing program and is the first approved by EPA for a solid material, rather than for a liquid or aerosol, as a disinfectant. [above: native copper, @StoneTrust]
A CDA official said the copper-based products had a 99.9% kill rate within two hours against the bacteria.