• ▁radical s , ▁thereby ▁causing ▁" multiple ▁hit ▁damage " ▁at ▁target ▁sites . ▁Co pper ▁can ▁interact ▁with ▁lip ids , ▁causing ▁their ▁per ox id ation ▁and ▁opening ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁cell ▁memb ran es , ▁thereby ▁comprom ising ▁the ▁integrity ▁of ▁cells . ▁This ▁can ▁cause ▁leak age ▁of ▁essential ▁sol utes , ▁which ▁in ▁turn , ▁can ▁have ▁a ▁des ic c ating ▁effect . ▁Co pper ▁dam ages ▁the ▁resp ir atory ▁chain ▁in ▁E scher ich ia ▁col i ▁cells . ▁and ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁imp a ired ▁cell ular ▁met abol ism . ▁F aster ▁cor ros ion ▁correl ates ▁with ▁faster ▁in activ ation ▁of ▁micro organ isms . ▁This ▁may ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁increased ▁avail ability ▁of ▁cu pr ic ▁ion , ▁Cu 2 + , ▁which ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁ant im icro b ial ▁action . ▁In ▁in activ ation ▁experiments ▁on ▁the ▁flu ▁stra in , ▁H 1 N 1 , ▁which ▁is ▁nearly ▁identical ▁to ▁the ▁H 5 N 1 ▁av ian ▁stra in ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁H 1 N 1 ▁( sw ine ▁flu ) ▁stra in , ▁research ers ▁hypoth es ized ▁that ▁co pper ' s ▁ant im icro b ial ▁action ▁probably ▁attacks ▁the ▁overall ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁virus ▁and ▁therefore ▁has ▁a ▁broad - spect rum ▁effect . ▁Micro bes ▁require ▁co pper - cont aining ▁en zym es ▁to ▁drive ▁certain ▁vital ▁chemical ▁re actions .