SARS-CoV-2 Disinfection of Air and Surface Contamination by TiO2 Photocatalyst-Mediated Damage to Viral Morphology, RNA, and Protein

Viruses

Yoshimi Benno¹  Satoshi Wada²  Heihachiro Ochiai²  Junichi Somei²  Masami Takei²  Masaru Nakagawa²  Ryosuke Matsuura³  Chieh-Wen Lo³  Yoko Aida³  Atsushi Shinjo⁴  Norihito Saito⁴  Takayo Ogawa⁴  Takeharu Murakami⁴ 

[1] Benno Laboratory, Baton Zone Program, RIKEN Cluster for Science, Technology and Innovation Hub, Saitama 351-0198, Japan;Division of Hematology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8610, Japan;Laboratory of Global Infectious Diseases Control Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan;Photonics Control Technology Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, Saitama 351-0198, Japan;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2 inactivation;    TiO₂ photocatalyst;    aerosol;    RNA damage;    viral morphology disruption;    viral protein damage;   

DOI  :  10.3390/v13050942

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19, which is a global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted rapidly via contaminated surfaces and aerosols, emphasizing the importance of environmental disinfection to block the spread of virus. Ultraviolet C radiation and chemical compounds are effective for SARS-CoV-2 disinfection, but can only be applied in the absence of humans due to their toxicities. Therefore, development of disinfectants that can be applied in working spaces without evacuating people is needed. Here we showed that TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reaction inactivates SARS-CoV-2 in a time-dependent manner and decreases its infectivity by 99.9% after 20 min and 120 min of treatment in aerosol and liquid, respectively. The mechanistic effects of TiO₂ photocatalyst on SARS-CoV-2 virion included decreased total observed virion count, increased virion size, and reduced particle surface spike structure, as determined by transmission electron microscopy. Damage to viral proteins and genome was further confirmed by western blotting and RT-qPCR, respectively. The multi-antiviral effects of TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reaction implies universal disinfection potential for different infectious agents. Notably, TiO₂ has no adverse effects on human health, and therefore, TiO₂-induced photocatalytic reaction is suitable for disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging infectious disease-causing agents in human habitation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown