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. 2022 Feb:160:105914.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2021.105914. Epub 2021 Nov 20.

Impact of washing cycles on the performances of face masks

Augustin Charvet  1 , Nathalie Bardin-Monnier  1 , Dominique Thomas  1 , Olivier Dufaud  1 , Marielle Pfrimmer  1 , Mathieu Barrault  2 , Soleiman Bourrous  2 , Victor Mocho  2 , François-Xavier Ouf  2 , Stéphane Poirier  2 , Laurence Jeanmichel  3 , César Segovia  3 , Daniel Ferry  4 , Olivier Grauby  4
Affiliations

Impact of washing cycles on the performances of face masks

Augustin Charvet et al. J Aerosol Sci. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

The tension on the supply of surgical and FFP2 masks during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic leads to study the potential reuse of these masks. As washing is easily adaptable at home, this treatment solution was retained. In this work, thirty-six references of surgical masks and four FFP2 masks were tested without being worn or washed and after several washing cycles. The results highlighted a great heterogeneity of performances depending on the mask trademarks, both for surgical masks and FFP2. The quality of the meltblown and spunbond layers and the presence/absence of electrostatic charges at the fiber surface are put forward to explain the variability of results, both on differential pressures and filtration efficiencies. The differential pressure and the particle filtration efficiency of the washed masks were maintained up to 10 washing cycles and met the standard requirements. However, an immersion in water with a detergent induces an efficiency decrease for submicronic particles. This lower performance, constant after the first washing cycle, can be explained by the loss of electrostatic charges during the washing cycle. The modifications of surface properties after washing also lead to a loss of the hydrophobic behavior of type IIR surgical masks, which can therefore no more be considered as resistant to blood projections.

Keywords: Electrostatic charge; FFP2; Reuse; Surgical masks; Washing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Experimental setup for projection resistance tests (adapted from ISO 22609:2004). (1: Electrovalve; 2: Needle; 3: Mask holding fixture; 4: Glove box; 5: Valve controller; 6: Synthetic blood tank with pressure gauge).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Differential pressure (left) and collection efficiency (right) of the various surgical mask trademark before washing.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Total collection efficiency of the filtering facepiece respirators (left) and the surgical masks (right) before washing.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Spectral efficiency of type I, II, IIR surgical masks and FFP2 masks before washing.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Differential pressure according to the number of washings for surgical masks.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Collection efficiency according to the number of washings for surgical masks.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Spectral efficiency of washed surgical masks (A–B), of washed and discharged surgical masks (C), of FFP2 masks washed with or without detergent (D).
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
SEM images of filter fibers before washing (top row) and after washing with detergent (middle row). The bottom row shows EDX spectra of impurities deposited on the washed fibers, indicated by the arrows in the SEM images.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Examples of outer and inner faces of masks after a synthetic blood projection.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Comparison of contact angles of blood drops and mask surfaces for new (left) and 9-time washed masks (right) after a) 2 s; b) 30 s; c) 2 min 30 s and d) 5 min.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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