Skip to main content
PMC home page
Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Springer Nature - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2020 Oct 27;19(6):746–751. doi: 10.1039/d0pp00131g

Ultraviolet-C and other methods of decontamination of filtering facepiece N-95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic

Angeli Eloise Torres 1, Alexis B Lyons 1, Shanthi Narla 1, Indermeet Kohli 1,2, Angela Parks-Miller 1, David Ozog 1, Iltefat H Hamzavi 1, Henry W Lim 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8047514  PMID: 33856682

Abstract

During global health emergencies such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, the decontamination of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE) becomes a necessary means to keep up with the growing demand from healthcare workers and patients alike. Many unverified methods are being considered, which can pose the risk of incomplete decontamination and lead to catastrophic results. Several factors come into play when determining the suitability of such methods including the quality of the decontamination technique, the targeted pathogen, cost, ease of installation and use, rate of sterilization, and the surface or material to be sterilized. The germicidal properties of ultraviolet-C are well known. This review will cover the most commonly described methods for the sterilization of N95 respirators, namely, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, hydrogen peroxide vaporization, microwave-generated steaming, and dry heating. These techniques have been tested previously and have demonstrated efficacy in reducing or inactivating viral and bacterial pathogens, although testing against SARS-CoV-2 specifically has not been done. Moreover, it must be emphasized that proper disposal after a single use is still ideal under normal circumstances.

References

  • 1.U.S. Food and, Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorizations, https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/emergency-use-authorizations - covid19ppe, (accessed April 2020).
  • 2.E. M. Fisher, J. L. Williams and R. E. Shaffer, PLoS One, 2011, 6, el8585. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • 3.N. van Doremalen, T. Bushmaker, D. H. Morris, M. G. Holbrook, A. Gamble, B. N. Williamson, A. Tamin, J. L. Harcourt, N. J. Thornburg, S. I. Gerber, J. O. Lloyd-Smith, E. de Wit and V. J. Munster, N. Engl. J. Med., 2020, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMC2004973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • 4.Lindsley W G, Martin S B, Jr., Thewlis R E, Sarkisian K, Nwoko J O, Mead K R, Noti J D. J. Occup. Environ. Hyg. 2015;12:509–517. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2015.1018518. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Reed N G. Public Health Rep. 2010;125:15–27. doi: 10.1177/003335491012500105. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Casini B, Tuvo B, Cristina M L, Spagnolo A M, Totaro M, Baggiani A, Privitera G P. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;16:1–10. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16193572. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Guridi A, Sevillano E, de la Fuente I, Mateo E, Eraso E, Quindos G. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2019;16:1–11. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16234747. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Yang J H, Wu U I, Tai H M, Sheng W H. J. Microbiol., Immunol. Infect. 2019;52:487–493. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2017.08.017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Pefoyo A J. K, Bronskill S E, Gruneir A, Calzavara A, Thavorn K, Petrosyan Y, Maxwell C J, Bai Y, Wodchis W P. Bmc Public Health. 2015;15:415–415. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1733-2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Szeto W, Yam W C, Huang H, Leung D Y C. Bmc Infect. Dis. 2020;20:1–9. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-4847-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.I. H. Hamzavi, A. B. Lyons, I. Kohli, S. Narla, A. Parks-Miller, J. M. Gelfand, H. W. Lim and D. Ozog, J.. Am. Acad. Dermatol, 2020, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.03.085. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • 12.Kim J, Jang J. Aerosol Sci. Technol. 2018;52:557–566. doi: 10.1080/02786826.2018.1431386. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Kim D K, Kang D H. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2018;84:1–11. [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Song K, Taghipour F, Mohseni M. Sci. Total Environ. 2019;665:1103–1110. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Nyangaresi P O, Qin Y, Chen G, Zhang B, Lu Y, Shen L. Water Res. 2019;157:218–227. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.K. Song, M. Mohseni and F. Taghipour, Water Res., 2019, 163, DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114875. [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 17.Nunayon S S, Zhang H, Lai A C. K. Indoor Air. 2020;30:180–191. doi: 10.1111/ina.12619. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Lin T H, Tang F C, Hung P C, Hua Z C, Lai C Y. Indoor Air. 2018;28:754–762. doi: 10.1111/ina.12475. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Mills D, Harnish D A, Lawrence C, Sandoval-Powers M, Heimbuch B K. Am. J. Infect. Control. 2018;46:e49–e55. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.02.018. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Fisher E M, Shaffer R E. J. Appl. Microbiol. 2011;110:287–295. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2010.04881.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.D. Mills, M. Sandoval, C. Lawrence, B. Heimbuch and D. Harnish, Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation of Influenza-Contaminated N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators. American Society for Microbiology Poster Presentation 2016, https://www.fda.gov/downloads/EmergencyPreparedness/Counterterrorism/MedicalCountermeasures/MCMRegulatory Science/UCM505730.pdf (accessed April 2020). [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
  • 22.Bedell K, Buchaklian A H, Perlman S. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37:598–599. doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.348. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Memarzadeh F, Olmsted R N, Bartley J M. Am. J. Infect. Control. 2010;38:S13–S24. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2010.04.208. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Tseng C C, Li C S. J. Occup. Environ. Hyg. 2007;4:400–405. doi: 10.1080/15459620701329012. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.M. Lindblad, E. Tano, C. Lindahl and F. Huss, Burns, 2019, DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2019.10.004. [DOI] [PubMed]
  • 26.Narla S, Lyons A B, Kohli I, Torres A E, Parks-Miller A, Ozog D M, Hamzavi I H, Lim H W. Photodermatol. Photomed.: Photoimmunol; 2020. pp. 1–2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.A. Fraise, J. Y Maillard and S. Sattar, Russell, Hugo & Ayliffe’s Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization, Wiley-Blackwell, United Kingdom, 5th edn, 2013.
  • 28.J. Halamka and J. Schnitzer, COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition N95 Working Group Evaluation of Decontamination Techniques for the Reuse of N95 Respirators, https://c19hcc.org/static/img/insights/Evaluation-of-Respirator-Decontamination-Techniques.pdf, (accessed April 1, 2020).
  • 29.Rutala W A, Gergen M F, Weber D J. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2012;33:1159–1161. doi: 10.1086/668014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Weber D J, Kanamori H, Rutala W A. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 2016;29:424–431. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000284. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Ali S, Yui S, Muzslay M, Wilson A P. R. J. Hosp. Infect. 2018;98:438–439. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2017.09.011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Fu T Y, Gent P, Kumar V. J. Hosp. Infect. 2012;80:199–205. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.11.019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Tuladhar E, Terpstra P, Koopmans M, Duizer E. J. Hosp. Infect. 2012;80:110–115. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2011.10.012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Schwartz A, Stiegel M, Greeson N, Vogel A, Thomann W, Brown M, Sempowski G D, Alderman T S, Condreay J P, Burch J, Wolfe C, Smith B, Lewis S. Appl. Biosaf. 2020;25:67–70. doi: 10.1177/1535676020919932. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System, https://www.battelle.org/docs/default-source/commercial-offerings/industry-solutions/732_battelle-critical-care-decon-system_technical-summaryf.pdf, (accessed April 2020).
  • 36.Heimbuch B K, Wallace W H, Kinney K, Lumley A E, Wu C Y, Woo M H, Wander J D. Am. J. Infect. Control. 2011;39:e1–e9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2010.07.004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Lore M B, Heimbuch B K, Brown T L, Wander J D, Hinrichs S H. Ann. Occup. Hyg. 2012;56:92–101. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mer054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 38.Rabenau H F, Cinatl J, Morgenstern B, Bauer G, Preiser W, Doerr H W. Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 2005;194:1–6. doi: 10.1007/s00430-004-0219-0. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 39.Viscusi D J, Bergman M S, Eimer B C, Shaffer R E. Ann. Occup. Hyg. 2009;53:815–827. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mep070. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 40.Lin T H, Chen C C, Huang S H, Kuo C W, Lai C Y. Plos One. 2017;e0186217:12. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES