Laboratory testing has shown that when cleaned regularly this surface continuously reduces bacteria contamination, achieving 99.9% reduction within 2 hours of exposure. The label also states that the surface kills greater than 99.9% of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria within 2 hours of exposure.

For the test substance to be considered a sanitizer, a ≥99.9% reduction (≥3 log reduction) in the numbers of each microbe must be demonstrated following exposure. The protocol text also states, "This surface kills at least 99.9% of bacteria after a 1 hour contact time when maintained in accordance with the product care and use directions."

New efficacy testing supported by the Copper Development Association and conducted according to EPA's protocols demonstrated certain high-percentage copper alloy products can continuously kill viruses that come into contact with them. EPA expects these products to eliminate 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 within two hours.

The well-established killing of bacteria by copper surfaces, also called contact killing, is currently believed to be a combined effect of bacterial contact with the copper surface and the dissolution of copper, resulting in lethal bacterial damage. Laboratory studies have shown that bacteria on copper surfaces suffer rapid membrane damage and DNA degradation, in addition to other less well-defined cellular damage. Contact killing of bacteria by copper surfaces involves the following steps: damage of the outer and/or inner bacterial membrane, accumulation of copper ions in the cell, and degradation of the bacterial DNA.

Bacteria are rapidly killed on copper surfaces, and copper ions released from the surface have been proposed to play a major role in the killing process. These experiments suggest that contact killing proceeds by a mechanism whereby the metal-bacterial contact damages the cell envelope, which, in turn, makes the cells susceptible to further damage by copper ions. It is currently widely accepted that the mechanism of contact killing involves the following key steps: damage of the outer and/or inner bacterial membrane, accumulation of copper ions in the cell, and degradation of the bacterial DNA.

Bacteria are killed within minutes on surfaces of copper or copper alloys containing at least 60% copper. These results confirm the general view that copper is a highly efficient antimicrobial material even to bacteria with greatly increased copper tolerance. The antimicrobial activity is based on direct contact killing, where bacteria die after adhering to the copper surface.

Our results demonstrate that exposed cells accumulated copper ions and exhibited membrane and cell envelope damage. Copper ions released from copper surfaces contribute to contact killing, and membrane damage contributes to the mechanism of action of contact killing. In our current working model, the mode of action of antimicrobial copper surfaces comprises cytoplasmic membrane damage and weakening of the cell wall, leading to rapid death of bacteria on dry metallic copper surfaces.

The results support a role for dissolved copper ions in killing. Our findings provide support for a prominent role for dissolved copper in the killing process. Taken together, our data suggest that aqueous, ionic copper released from solid copper surfaces is an important factor in the killing of Enterococcus hirae, indicating that copper surfaces kill bacteria through contact via ion release rather than requiring added disinfectants.

A review of copper as an antimicrobial agent notes: "In contrast, no bacteria were found after 90 to 270 min at 20°C and 4°C, respectively, on a copper surface."[3] It reports that copper alloys show antibacterial ability and that the effect increases with increasing copper concentrations.[3] In experiments on survival time of Listeria monocytogenes on 25 different metal alloys, there was a "great reduction of survival times on copper-based alloys compared to stainless steel," with viable bacteria still retrievable after 24 h on stainless steel, whereas "on copper alloys, no viable bacteria could be retrieved after 60 min."[3]

It was shown that electroplated copper surfaces killed bacteria more rapidly than either polished copper or native rolled copper. These findings suggest that surface structure influences contact killing of bacteria by copper. The study demonstrated that copper surfaces can kill bacteria through direct contact and that the rate of killing depends on the surface characteristics.

Contact killing was observed to take place at a rate of at least 7 to 8 logs per hour, and no live microorganisms were generally recovered from copper surfaces after prolonged incubation. The antimicrobial activity of copper and copper alloys is now well established, and copper has recently been registered at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the first solid antimicrobial material.

Many studies suggest that ‘contact killing’ is initiated by the dissolved copper ions released from the copper surfaces by the culture medium and causing cell alterations. They showed that ‘contact killing’ of Escherichia coli is triggered by nonenzymatic oxidative damage of membrane phospholipids, resulting in the loss of membrane integrity and cell death. Other studies tend to demonstrate that the membrane is the first target to undergo damage, allowing copper ion penetration into the cell, followed by oxidative stress and DNA degradation, all supporting the antibacterial effect of copper surfaces through contact.

The main mechanism of bactericidal activity is the generation of ROS, both dependent and independent from Fenton chemistry, and results in membrane damage. Copper ions can disrupt the cell membrane, generate reactive oxygen species, and interfere with vital cellular processes, leading to bacterial death. This review summarizes recent advances showing that copper and copper surfaces exert broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects through contact-driven mechanisms involving ion release and oxidative damage.

A study on selected copper alloys concludes: "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."[5] 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" where "no reduction in the bacterial density was observed."[5] The authors note that their results are consistent with others confirming stronger antimicrobial activity of copper compared with its alloys.[5]

A hospital study reported that copper alloys (≥58% copper) used in furnishings had lower microbial counts than standard materials: "Eight of the 14 copper item types had microbial counts on their surfaces that were significantly lower than counts on standard materials."[13] Indicator microorganisms were recovered from both types of surfaces, but "significantly fewer copper surfaces were contaminated with vancomycin-resistant enterococci, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, and coliforms, compared with standard surfaces."[13] The authors conclude that "Copper alloys (greater than or equal to 58% copper), when incorporated into various hospital furnishings and fittings, reduce the surface microorganisms."[13]

The US Environmental Protection Agency registers five copper alloys with public health claims. Laboratory studies conducted under EPA-approved protocols have proven copper’s ability to kill, within 2 hours of contact time, more than 99.9% of the following disease-causing bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) and MRSA.

Three key observations responsible for Cu-induced contact killing include cell membrane damage, formation of nanosized copper-containing particles within the bacteria cell, and intracellular copper redox reactions. Cell membrane damage permits copper to enter into the cell interior through two possible routes, as small fragmentized Cu2O particles from the corrosion product layer and/or as released copper ions. The study uses high-resolution microscopy to visualize how bacterial contact with copper surfaces leads directly to lethal intracellular copper accumulation and structural damage.

An experimental study on Bacillus subtilis notes: "Copper alloy surfaces rapidly kill a significant variety of microorganisms in both the laboratory and clinical setting."[11] It describes that this antimicrobial activity is broad-ranging and targets gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.[11] However, the study found that copper alloy surfaces are effective against vegetative cells but not sporulated cells of B. subtilis, indicating that spores can resist contact killing by copper.[11]

Bacteria die when they come in contact with copper alloys in laboratory tests. Greater than a 99.9% reduction in live bacteria was realized in laboratory tests. In the clinical trials, an 83% reduction in bacteria was seen on the copper alloy components, compared with standard-material control rooms.

CuO was found to significantly inhibit contact killing, compared to pure copper. In contrast, thermally generated Cu2O was essentially as effective in contact killing as pure copper. Since the Cu2O that primarily forms on copper under ambient conditions is as active in contact killing as pure copper, antimicrobial objects will retain their antimicrobial properties even after oxide formation, supporting sustained contact killing by copper surfaces.

Extensive laboratory testing has proven that Antimicrobial Copper continuously kills bacteria and never wears out. In the continuous reduction tests, a reduction greater than 99.9% was seen in 207 out of 216 tests, with remaining tests ranging from 99.3% to 99.9%.

After rigorous testing and evaluation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered copper alloys as antimicrobial public health materials. Frequently touched surfaces made from uncoated EPA-registered copper alloy materials continuously kill bacteria within two hours of contact when cleaned regularly.

Bacteria die when they come in contact with copper alloys in laboratory tests. We performed a clinical trial in which copper alloy surfaces were installed in intensive care unit rooms. Copper alloy surfaces kill bacteria and reduce hospital-acquired infections, demonstrating that copper surfaces have intrinsic antimicrobial properties operational in real clinical settings without the need for additional disinfectant application on every contact event.

Laboratory studies conducted under EPA-approved protocols have proven copper's ability to inactivate, within 2 hours of contact time, more than 99.9% of the following disease-causing bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Antimicrobial copper, brass and bronze surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours of exposure. In laboratory tests closely simulating a dry touch, inactivation times have been demonstrated at under five minutes for typical levels of contamination.

Antimicrobial Copper Alloy surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria within two hours of exposure. The registrations are based on studies supervised by EPA which found that copper alloys kill more than 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria within just two hours when cleaned regularly. They have an inherent ability to kill a wide range of harmful microbes relatively rapidly – often within two hours or less – and with a high degree of efficiency.

A 2024 review notes: "In 2008, the EPA formally acknowledged copper and its alloys as the pioneering metallic antimicrobial agents. They certified copper’s strength to eradicate 99.9% of pathogenic bacteria within 2 h."[10] The review summarizes extensive evidence that copper complexes and surfaces possess antimicrobial efficacy, and that EPA registrations are based on standardized laboratory tests demonstrating these contact-killing properties.[10]

Copper kills bacteria rapidly by a mechanism that is not yet fully resolved. The release of ionic copper was also more rapid from electroplated copper compared to the other materials. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the bacteria nudged into the grooves between the copper grains of deposited copper, underlining that the surface structure influences how effective copper is at killing bacteria through contact.

Copper has the ability to kill viruses and bacteria by disrupting the protective layers of certain microorganisms and interfering with their vital processes. This happens on contact – with no cleaning supplies. However, this phenomenon of "contact killing" requires that the microorganism makes direct contact with copper. Emerging research from the New England Journal of Medicine found that copper can also kill SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, with the virus surviving on copper only for about four hours.

Copper alloy surfaces have intrinsic properties that destroy many microorganisms. More than 99.9% of E. coli microbes are killed after just 1–2 hours on copper. In 2008, EPA granted registration approvals stating that copper alloys kill more than 99.9% of MRSA within two hours.