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Researchers at Dalhousie University have developed a material that can be used to easily and cost-effectively produce filters for use in personal protective masks that can neutralize certain pathogens, such assomecoronaviruses and flus.

Dr. John Frampton, an Associate Professor in Dal’s School of Biomedical Engineering, worked with a multidisciplinary team from Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (led by Gary Markle) to develop the material that has a filtration efficiency of 95 per cent when placed in a cotton mask.

The team, including members from the Departments of Community Health and Epidemiology (Dr. Jong Sung Kim) and Microbiology & Immunology (Dr. Craig McCormick), made the textile by dissolving polymer molecules in water until it became a thick paste that can be turned into a fibre when pulled and dried.

The researchers then added silver nanoparticles -- an anti-viral agent -- to the polymer, giving it the ability to kill viruses that come in contact with the material. The hope is to eventually have a fully tested material that a health-care worker could wear to protect them against viruses.

Another benefit of the material is that it can dissolve when it comes into contact with water, potentially making it more environmentally friendly. The team is also exploring the possibility of using polymers from more sustainable sources, such as crab shells or seaweed.

Their work was outlined in a paper published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials.

Dr. Frampton is available to discuss this important innovation and how it could provide a locally produced material for protective masks that could be used to shield health-care workers from exposure to viruses in high-risk settings.

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Media contact:
Alison Auld
Senior Research Reporter
Communications, Marketing and Creative Services
Dalhousie University
Cell: 1-902-220-0491
Email: alison.auld@dal.ca