Assessment of N95 Mask Decontamination Methods for Reuse based on Filtration Efficiency and Fit Check
N95 Mask Decontamination Methods for Reuse
Keywords:
N95 mask, Decontamination, Filtration efficiency, Fit check, ReuseAbstract
Face masks, particularly N95, are the most important personal protective equipment (PPE) that can reduce the risk of airborne particles containing hazardous pathogens. During the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare personnel was forced to reuse N95 masks because of a huge gap between demand and supply. Therefore, decontamination techniques for reusing N95 masks were investigated, providing useful databases in cases of catastrophic event, emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases occurrence. The decontamination methods including UV irradiation, dry heat (hot air oven), wet heat (hot water, boiling water, and autoclave), as well as 70% ethyl alcohol (sprayed and immersed with ethyl alcohol) and soap water, were examined on the 8110s and 9105 N95 mask models. The changes in filtration efficiency and fit check of the masks before and after decontamination steps were evaluated and discussed. The results revealed that UV irradiation, hot air oven, hot water and boiling water were the most promising approaches to decontaminate the N95 masks because there were no obvious changes in filtration efficiency or in the fit checks of both N95 mask models. While autoclaves, praying and immersing with ethyl alcohol, and soap water caused a significant reduction in the performance usability of N95 masks due to the deteriorative effects on the nanofiber structure.
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