UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs
During the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the best means of personal protection was using face masks. In this context, the World Health Organization has declared the attempts to produce masks inactivating airborne virus species a welcome initiative. This preliminary study aimed to prove that airborne ger...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2023-74-3766 |
| _version_ | 1797368797533831168 |
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| author | Gelir Ali Asicioglu Faruk Yilmaz Aysegul S. Kuskucu Mert Doymaz Mehmet Özdemir Onur B. Sarıbal Devrim Salman Seda Kadi Ömer F. Özdemir Sedat Seyhan Sinem N. |
| author_facet | Gelir Ali Asicioglu Faruk Yilmaz Aysegul S. Kuskucu Mert Doymaz Mehmet Özdemir Onur B. Sarıbal Devrim Salman Seda Kadi Ömer F. Özdemir Sedat Seyhan Sinem N. |
| author_sort | Gelir Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the best means of personal protection was using face masks. In this context, the World Health Organization has declared the attempts to produce masks inactivating airborne virus species a welcome initiative. This preliminary study aimed to prove that airborne germs passing through a mask filter cartridge can be destroyed by the rays emitted from UVC LEDs placed in such cartridge. We therefore designed such a face mask and tested the efficiency of UVC LEDs placed in its cartridge against common contaminants, gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 virus because of its similarity with SARS CoV-2. Eight UVC LEDs with a total power of 75 mW provided sufficient germicidal effect for all three germs. In terms of safety, ozone production released during UVC LED emission was negligible. Our findings are promising, as they show that well-designed UVC-based face masks can be effective against airborne germs, but further research on a greater sample may help us learn more and optimise such face masks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:37:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-66a2a6e13d1b46329839e601bef1eff3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1848-6312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:37:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju |
| spelling | doaj.art-66a2a6e13d1b46329839e601bef1eff32024-01-02T11:34:37ZengSciendoArhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju1848-63122023-12-0174428228710.2478/aiht-2023-74-3766UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germsGelir Ali0Asicioglu Faruk1Yilmaz Aysegul S.2Kuskucu Mert3Doymaz Mehmet4Özdemir Onur B.5Sarıbal Devrim6Salman Seda7Kadi Ömer F.8Özdemir Sedat9Seyhan Sinem N.10Istanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyBezmialemVakıf University, Department of Medical Microbiology, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, TurkeyHaliç University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, TurkeyIstanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, TurkeyDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the best means of personal protection was using face masks. In this context, the World Health Organization has declared the attempts to produce masks inactivating airborne virus species a welcome initiative. This preliminary study aimed to prove that airborne germs passing through a mask filter cartridge can be destroyed by the rays emitted from UVC LEDs placed in such cartridge. We therefore designed such a face mask and tested the efficiency of UVC LEDs placed in its cartridge against common contaminants, gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 virus because of its similarity with SARS CoV-2. Eight UVC LEDs with a total power of 75 mW provided sufficient germicidal effect for all three germs. In terms of safety, ozone production released during UVC LED emission was negligible. Our findings are promising, as they show that well-designed UVC-based face masks can be effective against airborne germs, but further research on a greater sample may help us learn more and optimise such face masks.https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2023-74-3766antibacterial maska/puerto rico/8/1934 influenza viruscorona viruscovid-19p. aeruginosaprotective maskpublic healths. aureusantibakterijska maskacovid-19javno zdravstvokoronavirusvirus influence a/puerto rico/8/1934p. aeruginosazaštitna maskas. aureus |
| spellingShingle | Gelir Ali Asicioglu Faruk Yilmaz Aysegul S. Kuskucu Mert Doymaz Mehmet Özdemir Onur B. Sarıbal Devrim Salman Seda Kadi Ömer F. Özdemir Sedat Seyhan Sinem N. UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju antibacterial mask a/puerto rico/8/1934 influenza virus corona virus covid-19 p. aeruginosa protective mask public health s. aureus antibakterijska maska covid-19 javno zdravstvo koronavirus virus influence a/puerto rico/8/1934 p. aeruginosa zaštitna maska s. aureus |
| title | UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| title_full | UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| title_fullStr | UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| title_full_unstemmed | UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| title_short | UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| title_sort | uvc led based face mask design and efficacy against common germs |
| topic | antibacterial mask a/puerto rico/8/1934 influenza virus corona virus covid-19 p. aeruginosa protective mask public health s. aureus antibakterijska maska covid-19 javno zdravstvo koronavirus virus influence a/puerto rico/8/1934 p. aeruginosa zaštitna maska s. aureus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2023-74-3766 |
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