Disinfection News and Research

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Inmates’ distrust of prison health care fuels distrust of Covid vaccines

One November night in a Missouri prison, Charles Graham woke his cellmate of more than a dozen years, Frank Flanders, saying he couldn't breathe. Flanders pressed the call button. No one answered, so he kicked the door until a guard came.

25 Mar 2021

New copper-based foam filter could be used in facemasks or air filtration systems

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have grown accustomed to wearing facemasks, but many coverings are fragile and not easily disinfected. Metal foams are durable, and their small pores and large surface areas suggest they could effectively filter out microbes. Now

24 Mar 2021

University of Strathclyde signs licensing deal for its patented HINS-light technology

The new Environment Care Lighting technology range created by Linea Light Group using High Intensity Narrow Spectrum (HINS) light developed and patented by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, will enable the Woofer and Rollip appliances from the i-LèD Professional collection to decontaminate surfaces and prevent infection, destroying up to 70-80% of bacteria with continuous use.

22 Mar 2021

Air purification technologies to combat SARS-CoV-2

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had people sharing an array of strategies for disinfection and disease prevention.

17 Mar 2021

Could visible light be a safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 disinfectant?

A new study reports that blue light with a wavelength of 400–420 nm can inactivate enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. This could allow continuous disinfection of spaces even when people are present.

17 Mar 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can spread through cold-chain transport

In light of growing evidence, researchers say that SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission via contaminated surfaces, and in particular, frozen foods and products that are transported while keeping them at low temperatures, should be taken into account when devising prevention strategies.

16 Mar 2021

Scientists optimize wastewater disinfection process to minimize spread of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a global threat today, owing in part to the efficiency with which resistance spreads among them. Some of this spread happens in waterbodies—and our wastewater systems are no exception.

8 Mar 2021

Using complementary disinfection strategies to make swimming pools safer

Swimming in indoor or outdoor pools is a healthy form of exercise and recreation for many people. However, studies have linked compounds that arise from chlorine disinfection of the pools to respiratory problems, including asthma, in avid swimmers.

17 Feb 2021

China's SARS and SARS-CoV-2 outbreak management in comparative perspective

A new study compares the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with the earlier SARS-CoV epidemic to understand the best way to respond to it sensitively and flexibly. This involves early detection, using multiple screening tests, followed by management of the clinical features as required, in order to prevent disease-related injury.

17 Feb 2021

Virus transmission by dental tools and prevention by antiviral agent

Researchers at the University of Ljubljana have demonstrated how a virus can spread by droplets during ultrasonic scaler (USS) operation and how this spread can be mitigated by merely substituting the irrigant with clinical virucidal agents, namely sodium hypochlorite and EOW (Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water).

16 Feb 2021

UV light can be used to disinfect SARS-CoV-2 contaminated surfaces, says study

Using different UV exposure times and dosages, researchers showed that surfaces like glass, plastic, stainless steel, and N95 respirator material could be quickly and easily disinfected.

16 Feb 2021

Standard decontamination technologies can remove or inactivate all viruses from drinking water

Among the many avenues that viruses can use to infect humans, drinking water may pose only a tiny risk for spreading certain viruses like the novel coronavirus.

3 Feb 2021

Scientist proposes new approach to assess drinking water quality

Most consumers of drinking water in the United States know that chemicals are used in the treatment processes to ensure the water is safe to drink. But they might not know that the use of some of these chemicals, such as chlorine, can also lead to the formation of unregulated toxic byproducts.

13 Jan 2021

Three teams at Binghamton University awarded grants to pursue COVID-19 research projects

The State University of New York has awarded grants of up to $10,000 to three teams at Binghamton University to pursue research projects related to COVID-19.

5 Jan 2021

As Biden gets sworn in, White House will get scrubbed down

It was a down-in-the-mud presidential campaign, but the dirtiest part comes on Inauguration Day.

21 Dec 2020

AOAC INTERNATIONAL issues Certificates of Validation for three test kits that detect SARS-CoV-2

AOAC INTERNATIONAL announced today that it has issued Certificates of Validation for three proprietary test kits that detect SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 illness, on environmental surfaces.

18 Dec 2020

Methylene blue and light inactivates SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators and masks, study finds

Researchers at the University of Washington show that methylene blue (MB) and light can decontaminate masks and respirators by inactivating three tested coronaviruses without compromising integrity. The method is effective, low-cost, and does not require specialized equipment, making it applicable in any setting.

16 Dec 2020

Reports of drinking bleach to prevent COVID-19 skewed by "problematic" claims

Researchers in the United States have conducted studies suggesting that reports of people ingesting household cleaning agents as a way of protecting against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are skewed by "problematic" responses to surveys.

15 Dec 2020

UV-LEDs can efficiently, quickly kill coronavirus

Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) have proven that the coronavirus can be killed efficiently, quickly, and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs). They believe that the UV-LED technology will soon be available for private and commercial use.

14 Dec 2020

Recommendations to prevent SARS-CoV-2 spread via aerosols in hospitals and nursing homes

A variety of measures are necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals and nursing homes. It is particularly important to develop an appropriate strategy to protect healthcare workers from airborne transmission.