Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test
During the pandemic, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., face masks) to specialized personnel and general population represented a critical point to prevent virus spread; in addition, a huge variety of new manufacturers and products entered the market, widening the time requi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/8936 |
| _version_ | 1797491652695162880 |
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| author | Stefano Alberti Antonio Comite Marcello Pagliero Emanuele Magi Giulia Codda Dimitri Sossai Valentina Caratto Maurizio Ferretti |
| author_facet | Stefano Alberti Antonio Comite Marcello Pagliero Emanuele Magi Giulia Codda Dimitri Sossai Valentina Caratto Maurizio Ferretti |
| author_sort | Stefano Alberti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the pandemic, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., face masks) to specialized personnel and general population represented a critical point to prevent virus spread; in addition, a huge variety of new manufacturers and products entered the market, widening the time required to test and validate the equipment’s performances according to the current regulations. In this study, we employ a simple method recently developed in our laboratory, to discriminate the filtering capability of a set of KN95-certified face masks from different producers. The method is based on a methylene blue (MB) solution which is sprayed towards a pneumatic lung simulator, connected to a dummy head dressed in different types of masks. The amounts of MB droplets passing through the tested devices are collected by a cotton pad and analyzed through UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance. In the framework of interdisciplinary collaborations between the University and the Hospital, additional characterization techniques were performed including light optical and scanning electron microscopy morphological characterization, pressure decay, and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE). All masks were compared to a reference one, considered the gold standard for filtering performances. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:52:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-efbeabaf9672489ea510f5ad093b0c39 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:52:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-efbeabaf9672489ea510f5ad093b0c392023-11-23T14:50:28ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-09-011218893610.3390/app12188936Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative TestStefano Alberti0Antonio Comite1Marcello Pagliero2Emanuele Magi3Giulia Codda4Dimitri Sossai5Valentina Caratto6Maurizio Ferretti7Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Prevention and Protection Health Care Workers IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, ItalyDuring the pandemic, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (e.g., face masks) to specialized personnel and general population represented a critical point to prevent virus spread; in addition, a huge variety of new manufacturers and products entered the market, widening the time required to test and validate the equipment’s performances according to the current regulations. In this study, we employ a simple method recently developed in our laboratory, to discriminate the filtering capability of a set of KN95-certified face masks from different producers. The method is based on a methylene blue (MB) solution which is sprayed towards a pneumatic lung simulator, connected to a dummy head dressed in different types of masks. The amounts of MB droplets passing through the tested devices are collected by a cotton pad and analyzed through UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance. In the framework of interdisciplinary collaborations between the University and the Hospital, additional characterization techniques were performed including light optical and scanning electron microscopy morphological characterization, pressure decay, and bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE). All masks were compared to a reference one, considered the gold standard for filtering performances.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/8936face maskdropletfiltering capacityCOVID-19personal protective equipmentrespirators |
| spellingShingle | Stefano Alberti Antonio Comite Marcello Pagliero Emanuele Magi Giulia Codda Dimitri Sossai Valentina Caratto Maurizio Ferretti Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test Applied Sciences face mask droplet filtering capacity COVID-19 personal protective equipment respirators |
| title | Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test |
| title_full | Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test |
| title_fullStr | Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test |
| title_short | Performance Comparison among KN95-Certified Face Masks by Classical Techniques and Innovative Test |
| title_sort | performance comparison among kn95 certified face masks by classical techniques and innovative test |
| topic | face mask droplet filtering capacity COVID-19 personal protective equipment respirators |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/18/8936 |
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