Engineered Electrically Heatable Face Masks for Direct Inactivation of Aerosolized Viruses on the Mask Surfaces.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Engineering

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of face masks in reducing viral transmission.
• Improper mask usage and disposal pose contamination risks, reducing efficacy and creating waste.
• Resource-limited settings face challenges in regularly replacing disposable face masks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a porous, electrically heatable carbon veil (CV) for integration into commercial face masks.
• To assess the direct inactivation of aerosolized viruses using CV heaters powered by direct current (DC).
• To evaluate the potential for reusable face masks and decontamination of air filters.

Main Methods:

• Developed a standalone, porous carbon veil (CV) layer for easy application to commercial face masks.
• Tested prototype face masks with integrated CV layers using aerosolized MS2 bacteriophage.
• Applied a direct current (DC) of 6 V and 1.17 A to the CV layers to induce Joule heating.

Main Results:

• The CV layers reached over 70 °C within 10 seconds upon application of DC power.
• Rapid Joule heating effectively inactivated the captured MS2 bacteriophage.
• Achieved an average inactivation efficiency exceeding 99% for aerosolized viruses.

Conclusions:

• Engineered carbon layers can be effectively used for rapid, high-efficiency decontamination of face masks.
• This technology shows promise for enabling the reuse of face masks and air filters, reducing waste and improving accessibility.
• The findings contribute to developing sustainable solutions for viral pathogen control in respiratory protection.