Generic placeholder image

Current Chinese Engineering Science

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 2665-9980
ISSN (Online): 2665-9999

Review Article

Disinfection of Electrical Hand Dryer Using Plasma and Ozone

Author(s): Andrew Y.T. Leung*

Volume 2, Issue 1, 2022

Published on: 26 March, 2022

Article ID: e280122200668 Pages: 8

DOI: 10.2174/2665998002666220128154727

Price: $65

conference banner
Abstract

Electric hand dryers are more environmentally friendly than hand towels to eliminate solid waste and reduce maintenance of refilling. Hand dryers can attract microbes from the floor or wall. Likewise, hand towel attracts microbes from the environment. We present a two-stage (ozone and plasma) disinfection electric hand dryer to dry hands through viral free air. Ozone can disinfect dryers’ wet internal surfaces and air but can be dangerous in high concentrations. We use it for two seconds to disable microbes by 90%. In air exhaust, there are a pair of plasma generators deactivating the remaining microbes and ozone at the air outlet. With the combination use of ozone and plasma, 99.9% of microbes were disabled. Plasma accelerates the neutralization of ozone to oxygen at the outlet.

Keywords: Hand dryer disinfection, plasma, ozone, bacteria, viruses, environment.

Graphical Abstract
[1]
K.A. Reynolds, J.D. Sexton, A. Norman, and D.J. McClelland, "Comparison of electric hand dryers and paper towels for hand hygiene: A critical review of the literature", J. Appl. Microbiol., vol. 14, pp. 25-39, 2020.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jam.14796] [PMID: 32794646]
[2]
J.A. Matthews, and S.W.B. Newsom, "Hot air electric hand driers compared with paper towels for potential spread of airborne bacteria", J. Hosp. Infect., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 85-88, 1987.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0195-6701(87)90101-0] [PMID: 2880906]
[3]
M. Blackmore, "A comparison of hand drying methods", Cater. Health, vol. 1, pp. 189-198, 1989.
[4]
Y.F. Ngeow, H.W. Ong, and P. Tan, "Dispersal of bacteria by an electric air hand dryer", Malays. J. Pathol., vol. 11, pp. 53-56, 1989.
[PMID: 2698982]
[5]
D. Gould, "The significance of hand-drying in the prevention of infection", Nurs. Times, vol. 90, no. 47, pp. 33-35, 1994.
[PMID: 7800517]
[6]
W.A. Harrison, C.J. Griffith, T. Ayers, and B. Michaels, "Bacterial transfer and cross-contamination potential associated with paper-towel dispensing", Am. J. Infect. Control, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 387-391, 2003.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mic.2003.81] [PMID: 14639433]
[7]
K. Redway, and S. Fawdar, A comparative study of three different hand drying methods: paper towel, warm air dryer, jet air dryer., University of Westminster: London, 2008. Available from: http://www.europeantissue.com/pdfs
[8]
L.M. Gendron, L. Trudel, S. Moineau, and C. Duchaine, "Evaluation of bacterial contaminants found on unused paper towels and possible postcontamination after handwashing: a pilot study", Am. J. Infect. Control, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. e5-e9, 2012.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2011.07.007] [PMID: 22177666]
[9]
C. Huang, W. Ma, and S. Stack, "The hygienic efficacy of different hand-drying methods: A review of the evidence", Mayo Clin. Proc., vol. 87, no. 8, pp. 791-798, 2012.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.02.019] [PMID: 22656243]
[10]
E.L. Best, P. Parnell, and M.H. Wilcox, "Microbiological comparison of hand-drying methods: The potential for contamination of the environment, user, and bystander", J. Hosp. Infect., vol. 88, no. 4, pp. 199-206, 2014.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2014.08.002] [PMID: 25237036]
[11]
P.T. Kimmitt, and K.F. Redway, "Evaluation of the potential for virus dispersal during hand drying: A comparison of three methods", J. Appl. Microbiol., vol. 120, no. 2, pp. 478-486, 2016.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jam.13014] [PMID: 26618932]
[12]
G. Katara, N. Hemvani, S. Chitnis, V. Chitnis, and D.S. Chitnis, "Surface disinfection by exposure to germicidal UV light", Indian J. Med. Microbiol., vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 241-242, 2008.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0255-0857(21)01870-3] [PMID: 18695322]
[13]
C. Guo, Z. Gao, and J.L. Shen, "Emission rates of indoor ozone emission devices: A literature review", Build. Environ., vol. 158, no. 7, pp. 302-318, 2019.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.05.024]
[14]
L. Lin, and M. Keidar, "A map of control for cold atmospheric plasma jets: From physical mechanisms to optimizations", Appl. Phys. Rev., vol. 8, no. 1, p. 011306, 2021.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0022534]
[15]
L.K.P. Suen, V.Y.T. Lung, M.V. Boost, C.H. Au-Yeung, and G.K.H. Siu, "Microbiological evaluation of different hand drying methods for removing bacteria from washed hands", Sci. Rep., vol. 9, no. 1, p. 13754, 2019.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-50239-4] [PMID: 31551459]
[16]
"Centers for Disease control and prevention water disenfection with chlorine and chloramine", Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/disinfection methods/index.html
[17]
N. Nandkumar, "Plasma-The fourth state of matter", Int. J. Sci. Technol. Res., vol. 3, pp. 49-52, 2014.
[18]
A. Fridman, Plasma Chemistry., Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2012.
[19]
V. Nehra, A. Kumar, and H. Dwivedi, "Atmospheric non‐thermal plasma sources", Int J. Eng., vol. 2, pp. 53-68, 2008.
[20]
M.I. Boulos, P. Fauchais, and E. Pfender, Thermal Plasma: Fundamental and Applications., vol. 1. Plenum Press: New York, USA, 1994.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1337-1]
[21]
"Thailand Medical News", Available from: www.thailandmedical.news/news/ozone‐can‐be‐used‐to‐destroy the new coronavirus and disinfect areas
[22]
"Ozonetech. The most effective ay of treating water while eliminating pathogens and pollutants", Available from: https://www.ozonetech.com/water-treatment/ozone-disinfection-drinking-water
[23]
I.B. Moura, D. Ewin, and M.H. Wilcox, "From the hospital toilet to the ward: A pilot study on microbe dispersal to multiple hospital sur-faces following hand drying using a jet air dryer versus paper towels", Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol., 2021. [Epub ahead of print].
[24]
C. Tseng, and C. Li, "Inactivation of surface viruses by gaseous ozone", J. Environ. Health, vol. 70, no. 10, pp. 56-62, 2008.
[PMID: 18561570]

Rights & Permissions Print Cite
© 2024 Bentham Science Publishers | Privacy Policy