Testing of a mobile heating facility to sanitize N-95 respirators against an enveloped respiratory virus

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

William Fraser¹  Elle Lovejoy²  John Warren³  Thomas Kosten⁴  Jacob Gray⁵  Eric Bortz⁵  Brandon Maniaci⁵  Abigail Nelson⁶  Michael Brubaker⁷  Timothy Thomas⁸  Keith Cook⁹  Ralf Dagdag^1,10 

[1] Health, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), Anchorage, AK USA;Clinical and Research Services, ANTHC, Anchorage, AK, USA;Community Environment and Health, ANTHC, Anchorage, AK, USA;Dentist, Department of Dental Health Services, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks, AK, USA;Department of Biological Sciences, UAA, Anchorage, AK, USA;Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), Anchorage, AK, USA;;Department of Community Environment and Health, Community Environment &Director, Department of Standards and Innovation, Standards and Innovation ANTHC, Anchorage, AK, USA;Engineering ANTHC Anchorage, AK, USA;Statewide Health Facilities, ANTHC, Anchorage, AK, USA;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    filtering facepiece respirator;    reuse;    virus inactivation;    temperature;   

DOI  :  10.1080/22423982.2022.2064597

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In the spring of 2020, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) designed and built a sanitizing treatment system to address shortages of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). The design criteria included sanitizing large numbers of FFRs, repeatedly achieving FFR fit test requirements, and deactivating enveloped respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. The outcome was the Mobile Sanitizing Trailer (MST), a 20 by 8-foot modified trailer designed to process up to 1,000 FFRs during a standard heat cycle. This paper reports on the MST’s ability to: (1) sustain a target temperature, (2) produce tolerable conditions for FFRs as measured by fit factor and (3) successfully deactivate an infectious model virus. We found that the MST reliably and uniformly produced 75 degrees Celsius in the treatment chamber for the prescribed periods. Quantitative analysis showed that the FFRs achieved acceptable post-treatment fit factor even after 18, 60-minute heat cycles. Finally, the treated FFR materials had at least a log 3.0 reduction in viral RNA and no viable virus after 30, 60 or 90 minutes of heat treatment. As a sanitizing treatment during supply shortages, we found the MST a viable option for deactivation of virus and extending the usable life of FFRs.

【 授权许可】

Unknown