School sees 96% reduction in bacteria after classroom upgrade

BioCote was established in 1994 as a developer of patented antimicrobial / antibacterial powder coatings. In only a few years, the company became a pioneer and global provider of antimicrobial solutions, providing both the additives and support to help manufacturers produce antimicrobial treated products. BioCote operates on a global scale and has partners in over 25 countries, on all continents. We work closely with businesses ranging from global corporations, to small, local enterprises. The antimicrobial technology and the support we offer is the same in each case.

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In an effort to boost hygiene in schools, antimicrobial-technology specialists BioCote have created the world’s first classroom that actively protects against bacteria. Run in conjunction with existing customers, the south-east England primary classroom was completely refurbished with a range of BioCote protected products – from the carpet and walls to the desks and chairs – which all inhibit the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Consequently, the total environment of the antimicrobial classroom has seen a huge 96% reduction in bacterial contamination.

As part of the scientific study to understand the effectiveness of antimicrobial technology in a real-life school environment, all products were used for two months before swabbing for bacterial levels on items of interest began. In order to understand the reductions in bacteria, data was collected from comparable but untreated items in another classroom. After processing the swabs in the laboratory, the comparison of bacterial levels on BioCote treated and untreated items revealed the impressive difference.

“We are very proud to be part of the world’s first ‘antimicrobial classroom’,” said BioCote technical director and microbiologist Dr. Richard Hastings. “We were keen to undertake the study in a school environment due to the close-contact nature of children in the school classroom - providing the perfect setting for potentially harmful bacteria to spread. We are happy to announce huge bacterial reductions on BioCote treated products, affirming our aim of a cleaner classroom for young children."

While maintaining standard hygiene practices as per government guidelines can help to keep the bacteria at bay, products protected with BioCote antimicrobial technology actively reduce the presence of microbes on the surface making for an even higher level of cleanliness. The technology is integrated into items at the time of manufacture and is proven to perform against a wide range of microbes, including bacteria such as MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E.Coli, as well as the H1N1 flu virus and mould, actively creating a cleaner surface with hygiene built-in.

Following on from these results, data regarding bacteria in both the treated and untreated classrooms will continue to be collected to understand if levels of contamination vary due to seasonality, as well as the identity of microbes recovered. In addition to this, the BioCote team are also keen to find out what potential antimicrobial technology has for reducing absenteeism due to sickness.

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