Novel Disinfectants and Antiviral Agents

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 757

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Guest Editor
Research Center for Food Safety, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Interests: virology; immunology; prions
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Dear Colleagues,

Currently, medical instruments are sterilized by autoclaving, gamma-ray treatment and, UV exposure, and the use of gases such as ethylene oxide, as hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, peracetic acid. Autoclaving is really quick, highly penetrative, and generate no toxic residues, but temperature of 120 ℃ could damage the material being sterilized. Treatment with gamma rays is highly penetrative, and involves low temperatures with no associated residues, but it could induce no changes in the properties of the materials and is a relatively slow process. UV treatment is fast, low cost with no toxic residues, and involves low temperatures, but the effectiveness of the sterilization is poor and may result in damage to the material. Although novel techniques have been developed, such as chemical treatment with supercritical carbon dioxide as well as freeze-drying and other methods, these procedures are often ineffective and may damage the materials being sterilized. Plasma is effective against a broad spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria spores and prions, both of which display a high level of resistance to chemical and physical treatments. New kinds of herb extracts also will open the new fields in biological disinfection.

Prof. Dr. Takashi Onodera
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antibacterial therapies
  • antiviral therapies
  • discharge
  • disinfection
  • ephedra herb macromolecule condensed- tannin
  • herb extract
  • inactivation
  • sterilization
  • plasma technology
  • toxins

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 1453 KB  
Article
Control of Airborne and Surface Microorganisms in Real Indoor Environments Using an Integrated System of Vaporized Free Chlorine Components and Filtration
by Saki Kawahata, Mayumi Kondo, Atsushi Yamada, Naoya Shimazaki, Makoto Saito, Takayoshi Takano, Tetsuyoshi Yamada, Yoshinobu Shimayama, Shunsuke Matsuoka and Hirokazu Kimura
Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 2053; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092053 - 3 Sep 2025
Viewed by 586
Abstract
Airborne and surface-residing microorganisms in indoor environments pose potential risks for infectious disease transmission. To address this issue, we developed a composite device combining a generator of vaporized free chlorine components with a fine particle removal filter. Field tests were conducted in occupied [...] Read more.
Airborne and surface-residing microorganisms in indoor environments pose potential risks for infectious disease transmission. To address this issue, we developed a composite device combining a generator of vaporized free chlorine components with a fine particle removal filter. Field tests were conducted in occupied university classrooms to evaluate the device’s efficacy in reducing airborne bacterial loads. Airborne bacteria were sampled under three operational conditions [Electrolyzed (+)/Filter (+), Electrolyzed (−)/Filter (+), and Electrolyzed (−)/Filter (−)]. Significant reductions in bacterial counts were observed in the Electrolyzed (+)/Filter (+) condition, with a residual rate of 14.5% after 2.25 h (p = 0.00001). Additionally, surface contact tests demonstrated that vaporized free chlorine components, primarily consisting of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), reduced viable counts of E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus by 59.0–99.7% even at a distance of 8.0 m. The concentrations of vaporized free chlorine components during operation remained within safe exposure limits (0–19 ppb), consistent with the effective range reported in prior literature (10–50 ppb). Computational fluid dynamics simulations confirmed the diffusion of vaporized free chlorine components throughout the room, including distant sampling points. These findings suggest the combined use of a vaporized free chlorine generator and a particulate filter effectively reduces microbial contamination in indoor environments, providing a promising approach for infection control in residential and public settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Disinfectants and Antiviral Agents)
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