2023 Volume 51 Issue 2 Pages 39-48
One way of preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection during sports activities is to disinfect equipments and goods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in finger tactile sensation and the ultrastructural change of the surface of baseballs after applying various antiseptic solutions to them. The objects of this study were baseballs made from natural leather and natural rubber. Disinfection methods were A: water, B: sodium hypochlorite, C: surfactant, and D: ethanol. After repeating the application and wiping of each liquid on each baseball's surface 200 times, sensory testing was conducted. Eleven healthy adults evaluated three sensations, smooth, sticky, and bulky, by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis with no disinfection as the control (P < 0.05). Further, we observed structural changes on the ball surface before and after disinfection using an electron microscope. The tactile sensation was evaluated by VAS (range, 0-10)with the control value being 5. For leather baseballs, C resulted in significantly lower values than the control group for “smooth” (2.7) and “sticky” (3.4) sensations. For rubber baseballs, B showed a significantly lower value (4.3) only for “dryness.” A, C, and D showed significant changes in each of the three tactile sensations. Observation with an electron microscope revealed that baseballs showed changes in the depth and number of irregularities on the surface before and after disinfection. These results suggested that the antiseptic solution for baseballs is recommended to be C for leather baseballs and B for rubber baseballs.
