Mask disinfection using atmospheric pressure cold plasma

Autor: Ana Sainz-García, Paula Toledano, Ignacio Muro-Fraguas, Lydia Álvarez-Erviti, Rodolfo Múgica-Vidal, María López, Elisa Sainz-García, Beatriz Rojo-Bezares, Yolanda Sáenz, Fernando Alba-Elías
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol 123, Iss , Pp 145-156 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1201-9712
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.08.012
Popis: Objectives: Mask usage has increased over the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a mask shortage. Furthermore, their prolonged use causes skin problems related to bacterial overgrowth. To overcome these problems, atmospheric pressure cold plasma was studied as an alternative technology for mask disinfection. Methods: Different microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp.), different gases (nitrogen, argon, and air), plasma power (90-300 W), and treatment times (45 seconds to 5 minutes) were tested. Results: The best atmospheric pressure cold plasma treatment was the one generated by nitrogen gas at 300 W and 1.5 minutes. Testing of breathing and filtering performance and microscopic and visual analysis after one and five plasma treatment cycles, highlighted that these treatments did not affect the morphology or functional capacity of the masks. Conclusion: Considering the above, we strongly believe that atmospheric pressure cold plasma could be an inexpensive, eco-friendly, and sustainable mask disinfection technology enabling their reusability and solving mask shortage.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals