Impact of extended use and decontamination with vaporized hydrogen peroxide on N95 respirator fit

To address the shortage of N95 respirators in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, some organizations have recommended the decontamination of respirators using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) sterilizer for up to 10 times. However, these recommendations are based on studies that did not take into account the extended use of respirators, which can degrade respirator fit.

We investigated the impact of extended use and decontamination with VHP on N95 Respirator Fit. We performed a prospective cohort study to determine the number of times respirators can be decontaminated before respirator fit test failure. The primary outcome was the overall number of cycles required for half of the respirators to fail (either mechanical failure or fit test failure).

Thirty-six participants completed 360 hours of respirator usage across 90 cycles. The median number of cycles completed by participants before respirator failure was 2. The overall number of cycles required for half of respirators to fail was 1, 3, 5, and 4 for the 3M 1860(S), 3M 1870+, Moldex 151X and ProGear 88020 respirators, respectively.

The combination of prolonged usage and VHP decontamination was associated with early failure. Decontamination and prolonged usage of respirators must be done cautiously.