A new study shows sweat can cause corrosion of the protective qualities of brass surfaces — such as doorknobs — that contain bacteria-fighting copper, according to an article on the Becker Hospital Review website.
Within an hour of contact with brass, human sweat can produce corrosion that negatively impacts its ability to kill a range of microorganisms, the article said.
"My short term advice is to keep the brass in public environments free from corrosion through regular and thorough cleaning. In the longer term, using copper alloys with corrosion inhibitors included in the alloy would be a good choice," according to study author John Bond, OBE, from the University of Leicester's Department of Chemistry.
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