Bacterial Biofilm Formation on Nano-Copper Added PLA Suited for 3D Printed Face Masks

Microorganisms

Barbara Kaltschmidt¹  Ehsan Asghari¹  Annika Kiel¹  Christian Kaltschmidt¹  Andreas Hütten²  Bernhard Peter Kaltschmidt² 

[1] Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany;Department of Thin Films and Physics of Nanostructures, Center of Spinelectronic Materials and Devices, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany;

关键词: personal protective equipment;    face masks;    3D printing;    biofilm;    antimicrobial;    PLA;   

DOI  :  10.3390/microorganisms10020439

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The COVID-19 Pandemic leads to an increased worldwide demand for personal protection equipment in the medical field, such as face masks. New approaches to satisfy this demand have been developed, and one example is the use of 3D printing face masks. The reusable 3D printed mask may also have a positive effect on the environment due to decreased littering. However, the microbial load on the 3D printed objects is often disregarded. Here we analyze the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli on suspected antimicrobial Plactive™ PLA 3D printing filaments and non-antimicrobial Giantarm™ PLA. To characterize the biofilm-forming potential scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Confocal scanning electron microscopy (CLSM) and colony-forming unit assays (CFU) were performed. Attached cells could be observed on all tested 3D printing materials. Gram-negative strains P. aeruginosa and E. coli reveal a strong uniform growth independent of the tested 3D filament (for P. aeruginosa even with stressed induced growth reaction by Plactive™). Only Gram-positive S. aureus shows strong growth reduction on Plactive™. These results suggest that the postulated antimicrobial Plactive™ PLA does not affect Gram-negative bacteria species. These results indicate that reusable masks, while better for our environment, may pose another health risk.

【 授权许可】

Unknown