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Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Vol. 74 No. 4, 2023.

Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2023-74-3766

UVC-LED-based face mask design and efficacy against common germs

Ali Gelir orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-2253 ; Istanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, Turkey
Faruk Asicioglu ; Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Aysegul S. Yilmaz orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-3180-7689 ; Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Mert Kuskucu ; Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Mehmet Doymaz orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-2066-0252 ; BezmialemVakıf University, Department of Medical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey
Onur B. Özdemir ; Istanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, Turkey
Devrim Sarıbal ; Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Seda Salman orcid id orcid.org/0000-0003-4215-0544 ; Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Ömer F. Kadi ; Istanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, Turkey
Sedat Özdemir ; Haliç University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
Sinem N. Seyhan orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-7374-4316 ; Istanbul Technical University, Physics Engineering Department, Istanbul, Turkey

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Abstract

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.

Keywords

antibacterial mask; A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 influenza virus; corona virus; COVID-19; P. aeruginosa; protective mask; public health; S. aureus

Hrčak ID:

311424

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/311424

Publication date:

15.12.2023.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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