Avaliação de equipamento portátil na desinfecção rápida de diferentes tipos de máscaras faciais

Abstract

The use of masks to minimize environmental transmission of pathogens has been one of the main strategies to protect health professionals and the general population in times of airway-transmitted diseases. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the efficacy of ultraviolet light (UV-C), with different exposure times, in microbial reduction in diverse types of face masks: tricoline, surgical and N95. The masks were contaminated with 108 UFC/mL suspension of Staphylococcus aureus, with the aid of a spray and submitted to UV-C light exposure, by means of portable equipment (254 nm). Irradiation was performed at 1 cm from the samples, in sweep mode, for 30 s, 45 s and 60 s. To evaluate microbial reduction, pieces of the masks, about 1 cm2 were placed in a test tube containing sterile saline solution and submitted to mechanical agitation, before and after disinfection procedures. To facilitate the final counting, serial dilutions were performed in the order of 1:10, and 10 µL of the suspensions were seeded in Mueller Hinton agar for the final microbial count. All data were analyzed on its distribution using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Parametric data were analyzed using the ANOVA test, followed by the Tukey test. Non-parametric data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Wilcoxon test. The significance level was considered for p<0.05. The use of UV-C radiation promoted effective microbial reduction in face protection masks, contaminated with S. aureus, in the three models of face protection masks tested in this study (p>0.05) and even 60 s of irradiation was more effective in all types of masks. However, the types of face protection masks evaluated in this study did not influence the effectiveness of disinfection promoted by irradiation with UV-C light, at any irradiation time tested (p<0.05). Therefore, we can conclude that the use of UV-C radiation can promote effective microbial reduction in face protection masks, contaminated with S. aureus, in the three models of masks tested in this study: Tricoline, Surgical and N95, and the microbial reduction is density of dependent energy.