Antimicrobial properties of copper
Anyone who has spent much time around boats in salt water will know that copper in bottom paint will keep barnacles and other forms of life from growing on the bottom of your boat. At one time wood ships nailed sheets of copper to the hulls below the waterline for precisely that reason. Hundreds of years ago it was known that water stored in copper pots would stay fresh longer than pots made of other items. A few copper pennies made before 1982 used to be a remedy for ridding your fish aquarium of certain green slime and snails. Also a copper flashing along the ridge line of your roof will protect your roof from growing moss. A little copper sulfate in the toilet drain will stop the roots from clogging your sewer line. It little copper sulphate will rid your swimming pool or reservoir of algal blooms.
It is a proven fact that door handles made of copper, bronze or brass will be free of most bacteria in just a few hours while stainless steel which has become a standard in medical institutions and kitchens has a neutral effect on bacteria. You will notice copper listed in many multivitamins. We need some degree of the stuff. More and more plastics are being used as containers for water and food storage yet it takes only a few hours in the hot sun for bacteria to blossom and at the same time certain toxins from the plastic to find its way into the liquid stored.
The days of the lead pipes of Rome are long gone (and for good reason) but now many new homes no longer have copper pipes because of the expense, and remodels are tearing it out as well and replacing it with new cheaper plastic. I wonder what the long term effects we will see, if any, in the future.
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