Stable Solid Peracetic Acid Precursor for Effective Decontamination and Reuse of Personal Protective Equipment

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in the global supply chain for personal protective equipment (PPE), necessitating effective decontamination methods to enable the safe reuse of scarce resources like N95 respirators and Tyvek suits. While peracetic acid (PAA) is a potent disinfectant, its liquid form presents significant logistical challenges. This study introduces acetylperoxyborate (APB), a stable solid PAA precursor powder, as a novel solution for point-of-use PPE decontamination. APB was synthesized and characterized, demonstrating excellent thermal stability (decomposition > 140 °C) and retaining over 88% of its PAA content after accelerated aging equivalent to two years at room temperature. Comprehensive toxicity analyses confirmed the absence of residual acetic acid, aldehydes, phenolic compounds, or cytotoxic byproducts on decontaminated PPE. Scanning electron microscopy revealed no structural damage to N95 mask or Tyvek suit fibers after five disinfection cycles. Efficacy was evaluated against T4 bacteriophage, a model for enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Spray application of a 0.8% (w/v) APB solution achieved a consistent 3-log reduction (99.9%) in viral activity on PPE surfaces within 5-15 min, with efficacy unimpaired by the presence of cosmetic soils. The APB-based method requires no specialized equipment, operating via a simple ″dissolve-and-spray″ protocol. These findings position APB powder as a safe, effective, and logistically advantageous decontamination technology, offering a practical strategy for conserving PPE integrity and mitigating supply shortages during future public health crises.