Decontamination of respirators amid shortages due to SARS-CoV-2.

Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences : Official Journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology
Ravinder ThaperJonghwa Oh

Abstract

The pandemic created by SARS-CoV-2 has caused a shortage in the supplies of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), disposable respirators with at least 95% efficiency to remove non-oily airborne particles, due to increasing cases all over the world. The current article reviewed various possible decontamination methods for FFR reuse including ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV), microwave-generated steam (MGS), hydrogen peroxide gas plasma (HPGP), and 70% or higher ethanol solution. HPV decontamination was effective against bacterial spores (6 log10 reduction of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores) on FFRs and viruses (> 4 log10 reduction of various types of viruses) on inanimate surfaces, and no degradation of respirator materials and fit has been reported. 70% or higher ethanol decontamination showed high efficacy in inactivation of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces (> 3.9 log10 reduction) but it was lower on FFRs which filtration efficiency was also decreased. UVGI method had good biocidal efficacy on FFRs (> 3 log10 reduction of H1N1 virus) combined with inexpensive, readily available equipment; however, it was more time-consuming to ensure sufficient reduction in SARS-CoV-2. MGS...Continue Reading

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