United States. With the global focus on coronavirus prevention and transmission, a new type of self-sterilizing and self-decontaminating air filter, based on water filtration technology, is being developed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel.
The new nanotechnology is based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) water filters that eliminate viruses and bacteria in the water. This new concept, designed for air filtration, could be used in air filters in HVAC systems or integrated into face masks for a self-sterilizing effect. Most masks will become contaminated during use, including the N95 respirator mask, and if not used or handled properly, it becomes a contamination risk.
LIG is a microporous graphene foam that can be generated in many types of materials. LIG filters in water provide active protection with simultaneous removal of contamination and disinfection. LIG is already resistant to bacteria and actively kills microbes and viruses using a low-level electric current from an energy source. The researchers foresee the double protection system applied to air filtration.
"The bacteria-resistant graphene surface protects against microorganisms from multiplying, while microbes trapped in the filter are removed by electrical effects," says inventor Dr. Chris Arnusch, a senior lecturer and researcher at the BGU Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, part of the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.
Dr. Arnusch works on water purification by developing membranes with antibacterial and antiviral properties. Over the past five years, it has successfully applied this technology in water treatment applications:
"The material can be completely sterilized by electric current, therefore a LIG air filter has the potential to be combined with state-of-the-art air filtration, such as HEPA filters. Filters could add an active layer of protection, as well as prolong the life of HEPA technology. As a result, hospitals, cars, buildings and public transportation could become safer spaces. If such material is incorporated into a mask, a higher level of protection could be possible for medical providers, as well as for the general population."
Surgical masks are primarily designed to protect others, and can actually spread bacteria when moistened or used improperly. An active LIG air filter in a mask would work during inhalation and exhalation, allowing both the wearer and other people in close contact to be protected, as well as eliminating the risks of handling a contaminated material.
"This new research direction in Arnusch's lab builds on collaborative research at BGU combining nanomaterials and filtration, providing a new solution in our fight against COVID-19," says Doug Seserman, executive director of the American Associates of New York at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. "We hope that this new concept of face mask can be validated and produced as soon as possible."
The research is being supported by an initial grant as part of the BGU COVID-19 response effort, one of 50 funded initiatives. Each requires financial support, and AABGU has announced its commitment to raise emergency funds, allowing BGU to fully participate in global mitigation and containment efforts.
