Bacteria-killing copper to be installed on Toronto and more Vancouver transit vehicles

TransLink and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are installing antimicrobial copper coatings on high-touch transit surfaces on vehicles following a successful pilot phase that supports copper’s ability to kill up to 99.9 percent of bacteria on transit surfaces. 

This new round of testing seeks to confirm those results from the first phase in Vancouver by evaluating copper surfaces on more transit vehicles over a longer duration of time across two different regions. For this phase, the medical microbiology teams at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network will be undertaking regular bacteria testing, and VCH will be conducting laboratory testing on copper’s ability to kill viruses in addition to bacteria. 

“The pandemic has taught us to be bold and innovative to continue meeting the needs of our customers,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “Through this copper pilot, we have partnered with healthcare professionals to find creative ways to make transit cleaner and safer for our customers, and we’ve found that copper can kill up to 99.9 percent of bacteria on transit surfaces so far. We’re so excited to have our industry-leading pilot expand nationally to learn more about copper’s potential health benefits on transit.” 

TTC CEO Richard Leary added, “Safety has always been the top priority for the TTC – and it’s important that both our employees and customers feel safe every time they’re on one of our vehicles. Participating in a pilot like this with our hospital partners is a real opportunity to look at new ways to curb the spread of infection. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the importance of innovating and planning for the future. I’m proud that the TTC is working with Teck to do just that.” 

This trial, fully funded by Teck Resources Limited (Teck) as part of its Copper & Health program, will outfit copper on high-touch surfaces on several TTC buses, subway cars and streetcars, as well as several TransLink buses and SkyTrain cars. 

“I want to thank the TTC, TransLink and all partners for their leadership in making our communities safer using antimicrobial copper on transit,” said Teck President and CEO Don Lindsay. “Through our Copper & Health program, Teck is working with numerous organizations to leverage copper’s unique antimicrobial properties and enhance public health and safety.” 

Trail details 

This trial will test three types of products including functional copper surface layers, copper alloys and copper decals. Copper products will be installed on buses, subway cars and streetcars in the Greater Toronto Area as well as buses and SkyTrains in Metro Vancouver. 

Samples will be analyzed from copper surfaces, as well as non-copper surfaces on transit by VCH’s medical microbiology team, supported by Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network in Toronto and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. These tests will occur every two months over a one-year period. 

Researchers from the University of British Columbia will also test and analyze the durability of the three products as they age over the course of the year. 

This trial is being conducted at no cost to either transit service. The results of this trial could improve understanding of options for infection prevention for the transit industry and other industries that rely on shared public spaces. 

The project is the result of a partnership between Teck Resources Limited, Toronto Transit Commission, TransLink, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, the Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction (CHAIR), UBC Department of Materials Engineering, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, and Westech Cleaning Audit Systems.  

The trial follows preceding studies conducted by the Infection Prevention and Control team at VCH that have shown copper to be highly durable and effective at killing bacteria in laboratory and healthcare settings.