SARS-CoV-2 Inactivation Simulation Using 14 MeV Neutron Irradiation

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics and Engineering
• Virology and Public Health

Background:

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a significant public health threat.
• Effective inactivation technologies for SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed.
• Neutron radiation offers superior virus inactivation efficiency compared to gamma rays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model and simulate a closed container for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation using neutron radiation.
• To investigate the impact of container design parameters on neutron energy deposition in SARS-CoV-2 samples.
• To determine optimal conditions for efficient SARS-CoV-2 decontamination.

Main Methods:

• Development of a closed SARS-CoV-2 inactivation container model using the Monte Carlo method.
• Simulation of neutron energy deposition using various neutron sources.
• Analysis of factors including reflector material and thickness, sample area, and source distance.

Main Results:

• Optimal saturated reflector thicknesses were identified: graphite (30 cm), water (15 cm), and paraffin (10 cm).
• Increased energy deposition (radiation dose) was observed with smaller SARS-CoV-2 layer areas and closer proximity to the neutron source.
• Calculated energy deposition for a 10x10 cm² sample with graphite reflector and 14 MeV neutron source (10¹² n/s) was 3.0059 × 10⁻⁴ MeV/g.

Conclusions:

• Neutron radiation is a viable technology for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation.
• Optimized container design and neutron source intensity can significantly reduce decontamination time.
• Decontamination is achievable in approximately 87 minutes at 25 kGy, or less than 52 seconds with a 10¹⁴ n/s source.