The benefits of copper

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SANTIAGO, Nov. 14, 2008 (Reuters) - Copper socks? Copper towels?

How about copper subway poles? These are only a few of the uses Chile, the

world's biggest copper producer, is applying to the red metal now used more

in the construction and auto sectors.

Used since ancient times to make tools, weapons and even plumbing systems,

investigators are experimenting in Chile with new ways to use the metal and

exploit its bacteria- and fungus fighting characteristics.

" Public transport systems, where germs can be transmitted and there are

large numbers of people, there is a potential market for applications for

surface-metal copper, " said Jurgen Leibbrandt, head of market development

for the Chilean state copper giant Codelco.

" In clothes there is another venue ... where it has excellent anti-fungus

qualities, " he said. Codelco is already working with the private sector to

market socks, towels, pillow cases and even underwear sewn with copper

fibers that fight fungi and even help combat acne.

And the private sector is in a drive to join Chile's leading export, copper,

with the salmon industry, another of its next best known exports, to cut

disease in fish stocks. Chile is the world's second largest salmon producer

after Norway, but the industry has high costs because of expensive solutions

to controlling infections. " Joining these two industries to finding a

solution that is economically viable is certainly viable, " said Leibbrandt.

Manufacturers say copper has properties that kill bacteria and reduce

threats of infections.

One Chilean entrepreneur, Joaquin Ruiz, has invented copper sponge filters

to be used to purify water used on salmon farms to eliminate disease and

fungi, and reduce the use of large amounts of costly antibiotics currently

employed to do the same job. " That means huge savings. Instead of using

large quantities of antibiotics and germ killing agents, with this you are

just putting up a simple sanitary barrier, " Ruiz, the developer of the Metal

Foam sponges, told Reuters.

Codelco is experimenting with bacteria-repellant cages for the industry.

Investigators are also looking where they can use the metal to reduce levels

of infection in hospitals and they have found the metal helps to kill

Methicillin-

resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterium responsible

for difficult-to-treat infections in humans. " If you prevent one MRSA

infection, you save $21,000, so your return on investment will be very very

short, perhaps one patient, " said Schmidt, of the University of

South Carolina medical school. " So this is going to be a fairly efficient

and inexpensive solution to combat infections. "

(Reporting by Farias; writing by Pav Jordan)

Copyright Reuters 2008.