Application of an Ultrasonic Nebulizer Closet in the Disinfection of Textiles and Footwear

Tiago M. Henriques, Beatriz Rito, Diogo N. Proença and Paula V. Morais ()
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Tiago M. Henriques: UCCCB—University of Coimbra Bacteria Culture Collection, Department of Life Science, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Beatriz Rito: University of Coimbra, Centre for Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Processes, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Diogo N. Proença: UCCCB—University of Coimbra Bacteria Culture Collection, Department of Life Science, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Paula V. Morais: UCCCB—University of Coimbra Bacteria Culture Collection, Department of Life Science, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the importance of disinfection processes in health safety. Textiles and footwear have been identified as vectors for spreading infections. Therefore, their disinfection can be crucial to controlling pathogens’ dissemination. The present work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a commercial disinfectant aerosolized by an ultrasonic nebulizer closet as an effective method for disinfecting textiles and footwear. The disinfection was evaluated in three steps: suspension tests; nebulization in a 0.08 m 3 closet; nebulization in the upscaled 0.58 m 3 closet. The disinfection process of textiles and footwear was followed by the use of bacteriophages, bacterial spores, and bacterial cells. The disinfection in the 0.58 m 3 closet was efficient for textiles (4 log reduction) when bacteriophage Lambda , Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis were used. The footwear disinfection was achieved (4 log reduction) in the 0.08 m 3 closet for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . Disinfection in an ultrasonic nebulization closet has advantages such as being quick, not wetting, being efficient on porous surfaces, and is performed at room temperature. Ultrasonic nebulization disinfection in a closet proves to be useful in clothing and footwear stores to prevent pathogen transmission by the items’ widespread handling.

Keywords: disinfection; pathogen transmission control; textiles; footwear; ultrasonic nebulization closet; aerosol; bacterial spores; bacteriophage; Gram-positive bacteria; Gram-negative bacteria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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