RESPIRATORY CLOTH MASKS WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

CANDAL ROBERTO; CARNELLI, PATRICIO; CAINZOS, VERÓNICA; GUZ, LUCAS; FANTONI, SOFIA; LÓPEZ LOVEIRA ELSA; LLOIS, ANA MARÍA; PARODO, BELÉN; POLLA, GRISELDA; VERGARA-RUBIO, ALICIA

Buenos Aires

Simposio; SIMPOSIO NANOMED-AR; 2022

FAN

RESPIRATORY NON-WOVEN CLOTH MASKS WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITYRoberto Candal, Patricio Carnelli, Verónica Cainzos, Lucas Guz, Sofía Fantoni, Elsa López-Loveira, Ana María Llois, Belén Parodi, Griselda Polla, Alicia Vergara-RubioInstituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CONICET.The SARS Cov 2 pandemic produced a worldwide increase in the demand for facemasks . Similar situations occurred in the past, although not as dramatic as in the case of COVID-19 (for example, the outbreak of avian flu H1N1 in 2009). The development of efficient materials for making facemasks accessible to all countries is necessary to provide physicians and paramedics in particular, and the general public, with adequate protection against airborne pathogens.Non-woven polypropylene fabrics produced by different processes as meltblown, spunbond and others, are considered as appropriate materials for the confection of facemasks. The protection provided by these materials is a consequence of the filtration capability and the presence of electrostatic charges that repel or attract the pathogens, blocking the passage through the mesh. For non-medical uses, the combination of nonwovens with cotton (or other) fabrics provides reasonable protection due to the combination of filtration and electrostatic charges.The incorporation of additives with antiviral and antibacterial activity at the surface of fabric fibers is a strategy to increase the protection provided by the mask. Throughout use, microbes accumulate on the surface of the mask, increasing the likelihood of self-contamination. This problem is even worse when people without special training use the mask. The presence of antimicrobial agents at the fibers prevents the accumulation of viable pathogens. Silver and copper ions display well-known antibacterial and antiviral properties. Its use dates to ancient civilizations, being robust and affordable. Working at the nanoscale, allows great effects with a very 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 effect of the hydrophilicity and density (GSM) of the fabric on the mesh (filtration capabilities was determined. The antibacterial activity of selected samples in terms of copper content was determined. A mask prototype was made with two types of non-woven fabrics additioned with copper ions.