TransLink First In North America To Test Copper Coating On Transit
Copper being tested on high-touch transit surfaces to combat viruses
TransLink will be the first transit system in North America to pilot the use of bacteria and virus killing copper on high-touch transit surfaces. This industry-leading project is part of a study that will see various copper-based products and a protective coating called organosilane installed on SkyTrain and buses to test how effective these agents are at destroying viruses and bacteria on transit.
There will be comprehensive testing as part of the initial four-week pilot phase:
- Products will be installed on two trolley buses on high-ridership routes and two SkyTrain cars on the Expo and Millennium Lines.
- Twice weekly the surfaces will be swabbed and tested to determine antimicrobial effectiveness of the products.
- At the end of one month, the surfaces will also be assessed for durability.
The results of this pilot could have wide-reaching impacts for infection prevention for the transit industry and other industries that rely on shared public spaces.
Copper alloy surfaces are naturally antimicrobial with self-sanitizing properties. Recent literature shows that copper alloy surfaces destroy up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses within four hours. Organosilane is a wipe-on coating that can provide long-lasting protection against damaging microbes such as bacteria, mold, mildew and many viruses. When used in tandem with good hygiene and cleaning protocols, copper and organosilanes can help inhibit the buildup and growth of viruses and bacteria.
The project is the result of a partnership between TransLink, Teck Resources Limited (Teck), Vancouver Coastal Health, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction (CHAIR) Canada, and the University of British Columbia. This initial phase is fully funded by Teck, as part of its Copper & Health program. It is based on Copper preceding studies conducted by the Infection Prevention & Control team at Vancouver Coastal Health and supported by Teck that have shown copper is effective at killing bacteria and is durable over a period of many years.
Source: TransLink