Highlights
Ultraviolet C at a dose of 1.5 J/cm
2
to both sides is effective on some models of N95 s.
Straps may require additional disinfection to decontaminate properly.
SARS-CoV-2 decontamination does not apply to all hospital respiratory pathogens.
N95 model and fit-testing following irradiation need to be considered for UVC decontamination.
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation is one method for decontamination of N-95 filtering facepiece respirators to facilitate reuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other techniques include hydrogen peroxide vaporization, microwave-generated steaming, and dry heating.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a demand for safe and highly effective decontamination techniques for both personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital and operating rooms. The gradual lifting of lockdown...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.