Respiratory Cloth Masks with Antimicrobial Activity

CANDAL, ROBERTO JORGE; CARNELLI, PATRICIO FRANCISCO FLORENCIO; CAINZOS, VERÓNICA; GUZ, LUCAS; FANTONI, SOFÍA; LÓPEZ LOVEIRA, ELSA; LLOIS, ANA MARÍA; PARODI, BELÉN; POLLA, GRISELDA; VERGARA RUBIOLO, ALICIA

Simposio; Simposio NANOMED-AR-Nanomedicine II - Reunión Conjunta SAIC, SAI, AAFE, NANOMED-AR 2021; 2021

NANOMED-AR

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic produced a worldwideincrease in the demand for facemasks . Similar situations occurred inthe past, although not as dramatic as in the case of COVID-19 (forexample, the outbreak of avian flu H1N1 in 2009). The development ofefficient materials for making facemasks accessible to all countriesis necessary to provide physicians and paramedics in particular, andthe general public, with adequate protection against airbornepathogens. Non-wovenpolypropylene fabrics produced by different processes as meltblown,spunbond and others, are considered as appropriate materials for theconfection of facemasks. The protection provided by these materialsis a consequence of the filtration capability and the presence ofelectrostatic charges that repel or attract the pathogens, blockingthe passage through the mesh. For non-medical uses, the combinationof nonwovens with cotton (or other) fabrics provides reasonableprotection due to the combination of filtration and electrostaticcharges. Theincorporation of additives with antiviral and antibacterial activityat the surface of fabric fibers is a strategy to increase theprotection provided by the mask. Throughout use, microbes accumulateon the surface of the mask, increasing the likelihood ofself-contamination. This problem is even worse when people withoutspecial training use the mask. The presence of antimicrobial agentsat the fibers prevents the accumulation of viable pathogens. Silverand copper ions display well-known antibacterial and antiviralproperties. Its use dates to ancient civilizations, being robust andaffordable. Working at the nanoscale, allows great effects with avery low amount of the active agents. Cu(II)ions were incorporated at different polypropylene non-woven fabrics,using polyvinyl alcohol as matrix to contain and fix the additives.Different formulations and drying conditions were applied. The effectof the hydrophilicity and density (GSM) of the fabric on the mesh(filtration capabilities was determined. The antibacterial activityof selected samples in terms of copper content was determined. A maskprototype was made with two types of non-woven fabrics additionedwith copper ions.p { line-height: 115%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; background: transparent }