This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
According to a study published in March in the New England Journal of Medicine, the coronavirus can survive on plastic and steel surfaces for up to 72 hours, but only lasts for four hours on copper.
For this reason, I thought I’d try using a copper water bottle for drinking. (I received a sample from Copperh20.com but I have no financial affiliation with them and all opinions expressed in this article are mine alone.)
Although my main interest was in copper’s anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, I found out a lot more interesting things about using copper containers for drinking.
Here’s what I found out.
Ancient people used copper
The ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper vessels for drinking and other medicinal purposes such as curing headaches and skin problems. Copper was also used in ancient Rome, and in India.
Anti-microbial
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, scientists had already discovered that copper can prevent the spread of respiratory diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Research from the University of South Hampton done in 2015 showed that contact with copper surfaces deactivated these viruses.
In addition, previous studies have shown that copper is also resistant to other viruses such as norovirus, influenza and hospital superbugs, such as MRSA.
Helps balance alkaline levels
I’ve heard that scientific studies have shown there are several benefits to drinking alkaline water. Storing water overnight in a copper water bottle naturally produces alkaline water.
Alkalinity test
I actually checked the alkalinity of the water stored in the Copper H20 water bottle. Here’s what I did:
I filled the water bottle and let it sit on the counter overnight. The next morning, I used a water testing kit to check the water.
Result: The test result showed that the water was indeed alkaline, with a pH of 8-8.5.
Taste
Water stored in the copper water bottle tasted great. It had no metallic after-taste at all.
Appearance
The copper water bottle from Copper H20 is hand-made, is attractive and lightweight. It comes with leak-proof cap so you can easily store it in a bag or purse.
Precautions
Copper water bottles are different from using plastic or stainless steel so you have to remember the following if you are planning to use one:
- Use only pure water in a copper water bottle – do not store juice, coffee or tea as these liquids will react to copper.
- Although there is very low risk of getting too much copper when drinking from a copper water bottle, to be on the safe side, it is recommended that you drink no more than four cups of copper-infused water a day. Also, to give the body enough time to get rid of any excess copper, take a month’s break after drinking copper-infused water for three months.
- Never store your copper water bottle in the freezer as it can explode.
What I don’t like about the copper water bottle
- Because it is not insulated, you cannot store hot water in the bottle as it would be too hot to touch.
- It’s possible to have too much copper. Excessive copper is not good for you and can cause nausea and other issues, so I don’t leave the water soaking in the water bottle more than eight hours.
What I like about the copper water bottle
- I like being able to make alkaline water.
- The bottle itself is lightweight and attractive.
- I like its anti-microbial properties, especially in these days of the coronavirus outbreak, it’s good to know viruses do not last long on the copper surface.
Conclusion
To answer the original question – do copper water bottles resist the coronavirus – the answer is yes. Copper has been known for centuries to ward off viruses and bacteria, including E-coli, influenza, MRSA, and various types of coronavirus.
Be aware that there are advantages and disadvantages to using a copper water bottle as I have mentioned above. Overall, I will continue using mine (with the precautions stated above) because I like the anti-microbial properties.
If you are interested in trying out a copper water bottle, visit the Copper H20 site – lots of information to learn. Read their FAQs. Make sure the bottle you buy is 100% copper. There are a lot of other copper bottles being sold that are impure and get a lot of complaints. Do your own research on whether a copper water bottle is right for you.
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