Sweat hurts anti-bacterial brass surfaces

A new study shows sweat can cause corrosion of the protective qualities of brass surfaces - such as doorknobs - that contain bacteria-fighting copper


A new study shows sweat can cause corrosion of the protective qualities of brass surfaces — such as doorknobs — that contain bacteria-fighting copper, according to an article on the Becker Hospital Review website.

Within an hour of contact with brass, human sweat can produce corrosion that negatively impacts its ability to kill a range of microorganisms, the article said.

"My short term advice is to keep the brass in public environments free from corrosion through regular and thorough cleaning. In the longer term, using copper alloys with corrosion inhibitors included in the alloy would be a good choice," according to study author John Bond, OBE, from the University of Leicester's Department of Chemistry.

Read the article.

 



June 27, 2014


Topic Area: Environmental Services


Recent Posts

How Efficiency Checklists Help Hospitals Save Energy, Water and Money

Keith Edgerton explains how a simple, systematic tool can help healthcare facilities identify savings, support sustainability goals and reinvest in long-term decarbonization.


Intermountain Healthcare Receives $50M Gift for Standalone Children's Hospital

To honor the family's gift, Intermountain Health will name the inpatient tower the Larry & Heidi Canarelli Inpatient Tower.


Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Reports Data Breach via Third Party

There is currently no evidence that the information has been viewed by any third-party or of any misuse of the impacted information as a result of this incident.


Safety Synergy: Infection Prevention That Protects Patients and Workers

For environmental services managers, the central message is that cleaning and disinfection should be governed through an integrated systems approach.


Prefabricated Wall Panels Speed UCF Lake Nona Medical Center Construction

StoPanel systems helped the project meet Florida’s wind-load and impact requirements while supporting a fast, safe exterior installation.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.