EPA recognises MicroGuard antimicrobial alloys’ public health claims
Based on the results of extensive efficacy testing, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered MicroGuard antimicrobial alloys for sale with public health claims. MicroGuard touch surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of disease-causing bacteria including the superbig Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
MicroGuard materials and component hardware are approved for touch surfaces in hospitals, schools, commercial buildings, and homes.
Some of the EPA approved applications include: Hand and stair railing, door hardware, hospital bedrails, medical IV stands, medical carts, countertops.
PMX Industries, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US, produces a wide range of copper and brass alloys, green building materials, and MicroGuard antimicrobial alloys. Designed to replace stainless steel with the added benefit of killing infectious bacteria, MicroGuard alloys are both fingerprint and stain resistant. PMX Industries will be releasing additional products made of MicroGuard materials as market needs are identified.
"While MicroGuard surfaces are not a substitute for good cleaning and disinfection practices, MicroGuard may be an ideal supplement to a multi-faceted approach to reduce hospital-acquired infections," said Tom Bobish, vice president of sales and marketing at PMX.
"Unlike antimicrobial coatings which cannot claim to kill infectious bacteria, the antimicrobial properties of MicroGuard will not wear away or be rubbed off. The antibacterial efficacy of MicroGuard remains effective for the life of the product."
Independent laboratory testing demonstrated effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.