Evaluation of 6 Methods for Aerobic Bacterial Sanitization of Smartphones

Smartphones are ubiquitous devices that offer a variety of useful applications for human and veterinary medical professionals and the biomedical research community. Smartphones can serve as fomites and potentially transmit pathogens, including bacterial species such as methicillin-resistant Staphylo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lieberman, Mia, Madden, Carolyn, Ma, Eric Jinglong, Fox, James G
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Division of Comparative Medicine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) 2019
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122643
Description
Summary:Smartphones are ubiquitous devices that offer a variety of useful applications for human and veterinary medical professionals and the biomedical research community. Smartphones can serve as fomites and potentially transmit pathogens, including bacterial species such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The goal of this study was to evaluate 6 methods to decrease aerobic bacterial colonies on smartphones, including two 254-nm UVC devices, 70% ethanol spray, quaternary ammonium disinfectant spray, sodium hypochlorite-impregnated wipes, and delicate-task wipes. All methods were individually effective at decreasing aerobic bacterial counts after sanitization. In addition, 254-nm UVC devices providing a dose of 60 mJ/cm², with UVC bulbs exposing both sides of the smartphone, were an effective nonliquid method for smartphone sanitization.