IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i7p1154-d218648.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Survival of Microorganisms on Nonwovens Used for the Construction of Filtering Facepiece Respirators

Author

Listed:
  • Katarzyna Majchrzycka

    (Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection—National Research Institute, Wierzbowa 48, 90-133 Łódź, Poland)

  • Małgorzata Okrasa

    (Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection—National Research Institute, Wierzbowa 48, 90-133 Łódź, Poland)

  • Justyna Szulc

    (Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty Biotechnology and Food Science, Lodz University of Technology, Wólczańska 171/173, 90-924 Łódź, Poland)

  • Anita Jachowicz

    (Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty Biotechnology and Food Science, Lodz University of Technology, Wólczańska 171/173, 90-924 Łódź, Poland)

  • Beata Gutarowska

    (Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology, Faculty Biotechnology and Food Science, Lodz University of Technology, Wólczańska 171/173, 90-924 Łódź, Poland)

Abstract

Filtering nonwovens that constitute the base material for filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) used for the protection of the respiratory system against bioaerosols may, in favourable conditions, promote the development of harmful microorganisms. There are no studies looking at the impact that different types of filtering nonwovens have on microorganism survival, which is an important issue for FFR producers and users. Five commercial filtering nonwovens manufactured using diverse textile technologies (i.e., needle-punching, melt-blown, spun-bonding) with different structural parameters and raw material compositions were used within our research. The survival of microorganisms on filtering nonwovens was determined for E. coli , S. aureus , B. subtilis bacteria; C. albicans yeast and A. niger mould. Samples of nonwovens were collected immediately after inoculum application (at 0 h) and after 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of incubation. The tests were carried out in accordance with the AATCC 100-1998 method. Survival depended strongly on microorganism species. E. coli and S. aureus bacteria grew the most on all nonwovens tested. The structural parameters of the nonwovens tested (mass per unit area and thickness) and contact angle did not significantly affect microorganism survival.

Suggested Citation

  • Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Małgorzata Okrasa & Justyna Szulc & Anita Jachowicz & Beata Gutarowska, 2019. "Survival of Microorganisms on Nonwovens Used for the Construction of Filtering Facepiece Respirators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:7:p:1154-:d:218648
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/7/1154/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/7/1154/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Małgorzata Okrasa & Justyna Skóra & Beata Gutarowska, 2016. "Evaluation of the Survivability of Microorganisms Deposited on Filtering Respiratory Protective Devices under Varying Conditions of Humidity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Małgorzata Okrasa & Anita Jachowicz & Justyna Szulc & Beata Gutarowska, 2018. "Microbial Growth on Dust-Loaded Filtering Materials Used for the Protection of Respiratory Tract as a Factor Affecting Filtration Efficiency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Justyna Szulc & Anna Otlewska & Małgorzata Okrasa & Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Michael Sulyok & Beata Gutarowska, 2017. "Microbiological Contamination at Workplaces in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Station Processing Plant Biomass," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anita Jachowicz & Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Justyna Szulc & Małgorzata Okrasa & Beata Gutarowska, 2019. "Survival of Microorganisms on Filtering Respiratory Protective Devices Used at Agricultural Facilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Małgorzata Okrasa & Anita Jachowicz & Justyna Szulc & Beata Gutarowska, 2018. "Microbial Growth on Dust-Loaded Filtering Materials Used for the Protection of Respiratory Tract as a Factor Affecting Filtration Efficiency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Carla Viegas & Bianca Gomes & Filipe Oliveira & Marta Dias & Renata Cervantes & Pedro Pena & Anita Quintal Gomes & Liliana Aranha Caetano & Elisabete Carolino & Ednilton Tavares de Andrade & Susana Vi, 2022. "Microbial Contamination in the Coffee Industry: An Occupational Menace besides a Food Safety Concern?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Małgorzata Okrasa & Jörn Hitz & Aleksandra Nowak & Agnieszka Brochocka & Christoph Thelen & Zbigniew Walczak, 2019. "Adsorption Performance of Activated-Carbon-Loaded Nonwoven Filters Used in Filtering Facepiece Respirators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-16, June.
    5. Cassandra L. Thiel & Pallavi Sreedhar & Genevieve S. Silva & Hannah C. Greene & Meenakshi Seetharaman & Meghan Durr & Timothy Roberts & Rajesh Vedanthan & Paul H. Lee & Gizely Andrade & Omar El-Shahaw, 2023. "Conservation Practices for Personal Protective Equipment: A Systematic Review with Focus on Lower-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-23, January.
    6. Beata Gutarowska & Justyna Szulc & Adriana Nowak & Anna Otlewska & Małgorzata Okrasa & Anita Jachowicz & Katarzyna Majchrzycka, 2018. "Dust at Various Workplaces—Microbiological and Toxicological Threats," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, April.
    7. Justyna Szulc & Anna Otlewska & Małgorzata Okrasa & Katarzyna Majchrzycka & Michael Sulyok & Beata Gutarowska, 2017. "Microbiological Contamination at Workplaces in a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Station Processing Plant Biomass," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Alessandra Cincinelli & Tania Martellini, 2017. "Indoor Air Quality and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-5, October.
    9. Justyna Szulc & Małgorzata Okrasa & Adriana Nowak & Joanna Nizioł & Tomasz Ruman & Sławomir Kuberski, 2022. "Assessment of Physicochemical, Microbiological and Toxicological Hazards at an Illegal Landfill in Central Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-31, April.
    10. Sang Bin Jeong & Ki Joon Heo & Byung Uk Lee, 2019. "Antimicrobial Air Filters Using Natural Sea Salt Particles for Deactivating Airborne Bacterial Particles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-10, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:7:p:1154-:d:218648. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.