Congressionally appropriated funds to continue clinical trails determining the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass and bronze have been awarded to the Copper Development Association (CDA), announced CDA President Andrew G. Kireta Sr. Of the two studies funded by these appropriations, one is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper components in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in reducing the incidence of harmful microbes that spread throughout buildings and other indoor air environments.

According to Dr. Harold Michels, vice president of Technical and Information Services for CDA and the studies’ principal investigator, “This decision allows the trials to move into the next, critical phase of study.” The study compares copper air-conditioning system components, including heat exchangers and drip pans, with components made of aluminum as to their ability to control the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. The trials are designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper surfaces in reducing the colonization of HVAC systems by harmful microbes and reducing exposure to these organisms throughout the buildings served by the systems.

According to the organization’s press release, laboratory studies are taking place at the University of South Carolina in the Arnold School of Public Health. Field trials will be performed at the Moncrief Army Community Hospital and barracks at Fort Jackson, the D.D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon and the United States Air Force Academy. Michels says, “The results of these real-world trials should encourage a leap forward in the design of HVAC systems and make a major contribution to the reduction of Sick Building Syndrome and the improvement of indoor air quality.”