Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection

Abstract The COVID-19 crisis has taken a significant toll on human life and the global economy since its start in early 2020. Healthcare professionals have been particularly vulnerable because of the unprecedented shortage of Facepiece Respirators (FPRs), which act as fundamental tools to protect th...

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Autores principales:	Joseph Schwan, Troy R. Alva, Giorgio Nava, Carla Berrospe Rodriguez, Zachary Spencer Dunn, Justin W. Chartron, Joshua Morgan, Pin Wang, Lorenzo Mangolini
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/a6d49cf9f51c47e4a3bfc9ecfa2e1621
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:a6d49cf9f51c47e4a3bfc9ecfa2e16212021-12-02T17:47:15ZEfficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection10.1038/s41598-021-91735-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/a6d49cf9f51c47e4a3bfc9ecfa2e16212021-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91735-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract The COVID-19 crisis has taken a significant toll on human life and the global economy since its start in early 2020. Healthcare professionals have been particularly vulnerable because of the unprecedented shortage of Facepiece Respirators (FPRs), which act as fundamental tools to protect the medical staff treating the coronavirus patients. In addition, many FPRs are designed to be disposable single-use devices, creating an issue related to the generation of large quantities of non-biodegradable waste. In this contribution, we describe a plasma-based decontamination technique designed to circumvent the shortages of FPRs and alleviate the environmental problems posed by waste generation. The system utilizes a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) to generate ozone and feed it through the fibers of the FPRs. The flow-through configuration is different than canonical ozone-based sterilization methods, in which the equipment is placed in a sealed ozone-containing enclosure without any flow through the mask polymer fibers. We demonstrate the rapid decontamination of surgical masks using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) as model pathogens, with the flow-through configuration providing a drastic reduction in sterilization time compared to the canonical approach. We also demonstrate that there is no deterioration in mask structure or filtration efficiency resulting from sterilization. Finally, we show that this decontamination approach can be implemented using readily available tools, such as a plastic box, a glass tube, few 3D printed components, and the high-voltage power supply from a plasma globe toy. The prototype assembled for this study is portable and affordable, with effectiveness comparable to that of larger and more expensive equipment.Joseph SchwanTroy R. AlvaGiorgio NavaCarla Berrospe RodriguezZachary Spencer DunnJustin W. ChartronJoshua MorganPin WangLorenzo MangoliniNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Joseph Schwan Troy R. Alva Giorgio Nava Carla Berrospe Rodriguez Zachary Spencer Dunn Justin W. Chartron Joshua Morgan Pin Wang Lorenzo Mangolini Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
description	Abstract The COVID-19 crisis has taken a significant toll on human life and the global economy since its start in early 2020. Healthcare professionals have been particularly vulnerable because of the unprecedented shortage of Facepiece Respirators (FPRs), which act as fundamental tools to protect the medical staff treating the coronavirus patients. In addition, many FPRs are designed to be disposable single-use devices, creating an issue related to the generation of large quantities of non-biodegradable waste. In this contribution, we describe a plasma-based decontamination technique designed to circumvent the shortages of FPRs and alleviate the environmental problems posed by waste generation. The system utilizes a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) to generate ozone and feed it through the fibers of the FPRs. The flow-through configuration is different than canonical ozone-based sterilization methods, in which the equipment is placed in a sealed ozone-containing enclosure without any flow through the mask polymer fibers. We demonstrate the rapid decontamination of surgical masks using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) as model pathogens, with the flow-through configuration providing a drastic reduction in sterilization time compared to the canonical approach. We also demonstrate that there is no deterioration in mask structure or filtration efficiency resulting from sterilization. Finally, we show that this decontamination approach can be implemented using readily available tools, such as a plastic box, a glass tube, few 3D printed components, and the high-voltage power supply from a plasma globe toy. The prototype assembled for this study is portable and affordable, with effectiveness comparable to that of larger and more expensive equipment.
format	article
author	Joseph Schwan Troy R. Alva Giorgio Nava Carla Berrospe Rodriguez Zachary Spencer Dunn Justin W. Chartron Joshua Morgan Pin Wang Lorenzo Mangolini
author_facet	Joseph Schwan Troy R. Alva Giorgio Nava Carla Berrospe Rodriguez Zachary Spencer Dunn Justin W. Chartron Joshua Morgan Pin Wang Lorenzo Mangolini
author_sort	Joseph Schwan
title	Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
title_short	Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
title_full	Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
title_fullStr	Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
title_full_unstemmed	Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
title_sort	efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/a6d49cf9f51c47e4a3bfc9ecfa2e1621
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_version_	1718379486600232960

Efficient facemask decontamination via forced ozone convection

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