Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of rising concern as indoor air pollutants can pose significant health risks, including asthma, sensitization, allergies, fatigue, cancer and the transmission of airborne diseases. IAQ is especially important in health care facilities. In such facilities, health care workers (HCW) are at a much greater risk of exposure to pathogenic airborne microbes than in typical indoor environments. In fact, poor ventilation and/or malfunctioning ventilation systems are most often identified as root causes to HCW infection. In addition, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units in residential, commercial and institutional buildings can be ideal breeding grounds for biological contaminants (mold, mildew, bacteria and viruses) which can be direct causes of adverse health effects and serious disease. Current antimicrobial HVAC systems, such as UV germicidal irradiation, high-efficiency particulate filters and pressurization systems, provide limited protection against these biological contaminants, are expensive and/or are limited in applicability. Integran Technologies USA, Inc. (Integran USA) has developed the technology to coat low-cost polyurethane open-celled porous foams with its patented Nanometal. The proposed Phase I program seeks to develop the process to coat low-cost porous foams with Integran USA's excellent antimicrobial metal coating, ultra fine-grained copper (UFG-Cu), for incorporation into health care facility HVAC units for the protection of health care workers and patients alike. The successful execution of this Phase I program is expected to provide the proof-of-concept for the production of UFG-Cu-enabled antimicrobial foams. To meet this objective, the specific Phase I project goals are: 1) design and establish a system suitable for coating foams with UFG-Cu, 2) identify the optimal process conditions, and 3) determine the feasibility of producing UFG-Cu- coated foams suitable for use in air filters. Expected Phase II initiatives include the incorporation of UFG-Cu-enabled foams into HVAC air filters, air flow and particulate testing, and appropriate antimicrobial testing. The proposed technology would provide an efficient, cost-effective and natural antimicrobial solution to reduce airborne biological contaminants in health care facilities, providing: 1) decreased growth of pathogenic bacteria in HVAC units to increase overall IAQ and reduce the transmission of pathogenic microbes, 2) decreased growth of destructive and odor-causing bacteria, 3) decreased maintenance and filter replacement costs due to reduced growth of damaging microbes on air filters, and 4) a cost-effective and low maintenance solution to prevent microbe growth within HVAC systems which is highly effective across all microbe classes (including spores). The proposed Phase I effort is expected to require 6 months at an estimated cost of $94,517.
Public Health Relevance: The proposed technology would provide an efficient, cost-effective and natural antimicrobial solution to reduce airborne biological contaminants and improve IAQ in health care facilities for the protection of HCW. Expected benefits include: 1) decreased growth of pathogenic bacteria in HVAC units to increase overall IAQ and reduce the transmission of pathogenic microbes, 2) decreased growth of destructive and odor-causing bacteria, 3) decreased maintenance and filter replacement costs due to reduced growth of damaging microbes on air filters, and 4) a cost- effective and low maintenance solution to prevent microbe growth within HVAC systems which is highly effective across all microbe classes (including spores).
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