▁Ex cess ▁co pper , ▁however , ▁can ▁affect ▁prote ins ▁and ▁en zym es ▁in ▁micro bes , ▁thereby ▁in hib iting ▁their ▁activities . ▁Research ers ▁believe ▁that ▁excess ▁co pper ▁has ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁dis rupt ▁cell ▁function ▁both ▁inside ▁cells ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁inter st it ial ▁spaces ▁between ▁cells , ▁probably ▁acting ▁on ▁the ▁cells ' ▁outer ▁en velope . ▁ ▁Currently , ▁research ers ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁ant im icro b ial ▁mechan isms ▁for ▁co pper ▁are ▁as ▁follows : ▁E lev ated ▁co pper ▁levels ▁inside ▁a ▁cell ▁causes ▁ox id ative ▁stress ▁and ▁the ▁generation ▁of ▁hydro gen ▁per ox ide . ▁Under ▁these ▁conditions , ▁co pper ▁particip ates ▁in ▁the ▁so - called ▁F ent on - type ▁reaction ▁— ▁a ▁chemical ▁reaction ▁causing ▁ox id ative ▁damage ▁to ▁cells . ▁Ex cess ▁co pper ▁causes ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁memb rane ▁integrity ▁of ▁micro bes , ▁leading ▁to ▁leak age ▁of ▁specific ▁essential ▁cell ▁nut ri ents , ▁such ▁as ▁pot ass ium ▁and ▁gl ut am ate . ▁This ▁leads ▁to ▁des ic cation ▁and ▁subsequent ▁cell ▁death . ▁While ▁co pper ▁is ▁needed ▁for ▁many ▁protein ▁functions , ▁in ▁an ▁excess ▁situation ▁( as ▁on ▁a ▁co pper ▁al loy ▁surface ), ▁co pper ▁bind s ▁to ▁prote ins ▁that ▁do ▁not ▁require ▁co pper ▁for ▁their ▁function . ▁This ▁" in app ropri ate " ▁binding ▁leads ▁to ▁loss - of - function ▁of ▁the