2023-11-06 05:04:08
A research team including Laval University suggests adding an antiviral coating to masks to make them more effective.
The Quebec university teamed up with the University of Campinas and the Federal University of Alagoas in Brazil, in which the professor in the Department of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at Laval University, director of the Laboratory, collaborated. of biomaterials and bioengineering, Diego Mantovani.
The research team shows that adding a bioactive coating to surgical masks makes it possible to destroy, in less than a minute, 99.99% of the viruses found on their surface in addition to reducing the frequency with which we must change them.
Current surgical masks act as a physical barrier. They prevent the passage of microorganisms, but they do not destroy them. For example, the COVID-19 virus can survive for several hours on the surface of a mask.
In addition, coughing, sneezing, having a runny nose or talking quickly reduces the filtration capacity of the masks. It is for these reasons that they must be replaced regularly.
The Quebec-Brazilian research team suggests that we might do better by applying a thin layer of antimicrobial molecules to the exterior surface of the masks. She therefore tested, in the laboratory, three molecules recognized for their bioactive properties. These molecules were attached, using plasma technology, to samples of surgical mask fabrics contaminated with a coronavirus.
The first coating was made of polyethyleneimine (PEI), a polymer found, among other things, in detergents. The second combined PEI and lauric acid, a fatty acid found in coconut. As for the third, it was made of PEI and copper sulfate.
The results of this study published in the journal Applied Surface Science were conclusive. After 2 hours of exposure, the abundance of viruses deposited on the first two coatings decreased by more than 99%. The coating combining PEI and copper sulfate did even better: it reduced virus abundance by 99.99% in less than a minute.
The PEI and copper coating therefore seems particularly promising. The team believes that the copper pierces the virus’s membrane, allowing the PEI to infiltrate and quickly destroy it.
These are two molecules that are regularly found in products approved for use in humans by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
According to Professor Mantovani, these masks would be particularly useful for people who find themselves in places with a high risk of contamination.
Additionally, if COVID-19 makes a comeback, these masks might also be distributed.
According to the team’s calculations, it would cost around 10 cents more per mask if their production was done on a large scale.
(M.D./IJL)
1699247552
#material #masks #effective
