Utilizing Salt-Coated Polypropylene Fabrics in Face Masks and Covers to Combat Respiratory Disease Transmission

• Author / Creator

  Han, Sumin

• Infections in the respiratory system not only cause individual illness but can also
  spread to others and potentially develop into pandemics or epidemics. Various types of
  vaccines have been used to control the spread of pathogens. However, vaccine development
  has limitations due to time-consuming processes and costs. Therefore, surgical masks and
  respirators are widely used as the first means of protection once an outbreak begins or
  symptoms are identified. Yet, conventional masks have limitations such as single-use
  restriction, risk of contact transmission via contaminated surfaces, and concerns over
  biohazardous waste. Besides, attempts to decontaminate and reuse masks during shortages can
  significantly degrade their effectiveness. This situation necessitates the development of
  antimicrobial masks. Therefore, we have developed salt-coated fabrics that rapidly inactivate
  pathogens through non-specific mechanisms. Our research aims to assess the optimal stacking
  sequence of salt-coated fabrics, identify main mechanism behind the pathogen inactivation of
  salt-coated fabrics, demonstrate the pathogen inactivation efficiency against resilient
  pathogens, and analyze contact-based transmission of salt-coated fabrics compared to bare
  fabrics.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Antimicrobial
  • Mask

• Graduation date

  Fall 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-064j-gw35

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.