To cope with the shortage of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare institutions were forced to reuse FFRs after applying different decontamination methods including gamma-irradiation (GIR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of GIR on the filtration efficiency (FE) of FFRs and on SARS-CoV-2 detection. The FE of 2 FFRs types (KN95 and N95-3 M masks) was assessed at different particle sizes (0.3–5 µm) following GIR (0–15 kGy) delivered at either typical (1.65 kGy/h) or low (0.5088 kGy/h) dose rates. The detection of two SARS-CoV-2 RNA genes (E and RdRp4) following GIR (0–50 kGy) was carried out using RT-qPCR assay. Both masks showed an overall significant ( P < 0.001) reduction in FE with increased GIR doses. No significant differences were observed between GIR dose rates on FE. The GIR exhibited significant increases ( P ≤ 0.001) in the cycle threshold values (ΔCt) of both genes, with no detection following high doses. In conclusion, complete degradation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be achieved by high GIR (≥ 30 kGy), suggesting its potential use in FFRs decontamination. However, GIR exhibited adverse effects on FE in dose- and particle size-dependent manners, rendering its use to decontaminate FFRs debatable.
【저자키워드】 viral infection, Infection, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic, Masks, Mask, adverse effects, SARS-CoV-2 detection, RT-qPCR, healthcare, SARS-CoV-2 RNA, Degradation, dose, Cycle threshold value, Efficiency, Cycle threshold values, Respirator, adverse effect, significant difference, no significant differences, significant differences, significant increase, doses, reuse, filtration, Genes, Complete, carried, exhibited, reduction in, evaluate the effect, debatable, 【제목키워드】 Respirator, Effect,