Optimum Materials for Masks and Respirators

ATU PhD researcher Kris O’Dowd and a team of researchers at the Nanotechnology and Bio-Engineering Research group at ATU Sligo campus have examined various facemasks and respirators, looking at the current materials in use and possible future innovations that will enhance their protection against SARS-CoV-2.

The research was part of a response to the Covid-19 crisis after Sligo University Hospital requested ATU Sligo for assistance at the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.

Their subsequent research paper entitled “Face Masks and Respirators in the Fight Against the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review of Current Materials, Advances and Future Perspectives,” received best paper award from the peer-reviewed journal ‘Materials’.

The award winning paper stated that new materials being developed such as graphene oxide can enhance the antimicrobial efficiency of the masks.

Face mask and respirators research findings:

• Wearing masks helps prevent the spread of Covid.

• Materials used in masks are the same as those used in 1901.

• 25-29% of higher grade masks (e.g., N95) were found to be worn incorrectly reducing their effectiveness.

• Cleaning of masks using ultraviolet light for reuse was effective in the elimination of influenzas but resulted in a 90% degradation of the mask material.

• The use of steam for mask cleaning was also capable of disinfecting but increased the mask pore size reducing its ability to filter out microorganism.

Dr Brendan McCormack, Head of ATU Sligo College said: “This award is a very timely recognition of the work that the team did during COVID-19 as we now begin to emerge out the other side of the pandemic. It will also help to inform other reviews that are beginning of the whole process and how we can fight infection more effectively.”

The researchers involved were Kris O’Dowd, Keerthi M. Nair, Parnia Forouzandeh, Snehamol Mathew and Jamie Grant. The work was led by the Head of the Faculty of Science Dr Jeremy Bird, Head of Research Dr John Bartlett, Ruth Moran and Prof Suresh C. Pillai.