@VICE takes a stab at looking into why copper--a mineral that is commonly mined in the US and in Alaska--works so well at fending off viruses and bacteria. Including a deep dive into the history of its use. Just another reason why minerals are critical to our everyday life.
An excerpt on the science: “On copper surfaces, bacteria and viruses die. When a microbe lands on a copper surface, the copper releases ions, which are electrically charged particles. Those copper ions blast through the outer membranes and destroy the whole cell, including the DNA or RNA inside. Because their DNA and RNA are destroyed, it also means a bacteria or virus can’t mutate and become resistant to the copper, or pass on genes (like for antibiotic resistance) to other microbes.”
#mineralsmakelife #copper #covid #virus #metalsinmedicine
