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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The emergence of COVID-19 triggered changes in routines and other concerns, such as the disinfection of textile clothing, to avoid the transmission of the disease. The application of ozone and UV radiation to textiles are interesting disinfection methodologies that do not use harmful chemicals. Ozone has been used for several years as a disinfectant, and UVC radiation has been shown to destroy viruses and bacteria. These technologies can be applied in hospitals, clinics, clothing stores, hotels, among others. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ozone (at different concentrations) and UVC radiation treatments and their combination (at different treatment times) in the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms (Acinetobacter ESB260 and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739) applied to different textile substrates. These treatments were applied in a prototype of the MTEX PHYS Sterilizer. The results demonstrated that ozone is more effective than UVC radiation. The highest bacterial inactivation with UVC radiation was that lasting 60 minutes. The best results with ozone treatments were obtained at concentrations of 50 and 60 ppm for 60 minutes, and log reductions of up to 5 log cycles were obtained. Apparently, the treatment time is more relevant than the ozone concentration. The combined treatment triggered a synergy of the treatments, in which values of logarithmic reduction were identical to those of the ozone treatment, but in a shorter time. The effectiveness of the treatments depends on the type of fabric and the bacterial species/strain.