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Chang T, Sepati M, Herting G, Leygraf C, Rajarao GK, Butina K, Richter-Dahlfors A, Blomberg E, Odnevall Wallinder I. A novel methodology to study antimicrobial properties of high-touch surfaces used for indoor hygiene applications-A study on Cu metal. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247081. [PMID: 33630868 PMCID: PMC7906481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Metal-based high-touch surfaces used for indoor applications such as doorknobs, light switches, handles and desks need to remain their antimicrobial properties even when tarnished or degraded. A novel laboratory methodology of relevance for indoor atmospheric conditions and fingerprint contact has therefore been elaborated for combined studies of both tarnishing/corrosion and antimicrobial properties of such high-touch surfaces. Cu metal was used as a benchmark material. The protocol includes pre-tarnishing/corrosion of the high touch surface for different time periods in a climatic chamber at repeated dry/wet conditions and artificial sweat deposition followed by the introduction of bacteria onto the surfaces via artificial sweat droplets. This methodology provides a more realistic and reproducible approach compared with other reported procedures to determine the antimicrobial efficiency of high-touch surfaces. It provides further a possibility to link the antimicrobial characteristics to physical and chemical properties such as surface composition, chemical reactivity, tarnishing/corrosion, surface roughness and surface wettability. The results elucidate that bacteria interactions as well as differences in extent of tarnishing can alter the physical properties (e.g. surface wettability, surface roughness) as well as the extent of metal release. The results clearly elucidate the importance to consider changes in chemical and physical properties of indoor hygiene surfaces when assessing their antimicrobial properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Chang
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
- AIMES—Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M. Sepati
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - G. Herting
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - C. Leygraf
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - G. Kuttuva Rajarao
- Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - K. Butina
- AIMES—Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A. Richter-Dahlfors
- AIMES—Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Fibre and Polymer Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E. Blomberg
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - I. Odnevall Wallinder
- Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Div. Surface and Corrosion Science, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Stockholm, Sweden
- AIMES—Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences at Karolinska Institutet and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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