Titanium dioxide (TiO
2) photocatalysis generates reactive oxygen species such as ・OH and ・O
2-, which can effectively eliminate organic compounds. In the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal effects of TiO
2-coated ceramic air filters in both laboratory and hospital settings. Photocatalysis with the TiO
2-coated ceramic filter effectively inactivated all 4 pathogenic organisms tested.
Escherichia coli,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Staphylococcus aureus and
Candida albicans. After the photocatalysis reaction for 4 h under UV-A (365nm, 250μW/cm
2) irradiation, the percentage reductions of the number of
E. coli,
P. aeruginosa,
S. aureus,
C. albicans cells were 99.9%, 98.9%, 97.7% and 99.9%, respectively, indicating that Gram-negative bacteria are more susceptible to such photocatalysis than Gram-positive bacteria. Scanning electron microscopic analysis showed damage to the cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall by photocatalysis : consistent with above observations, the morphological change of Gram-negative
E. coli was greater than that of Gram-positive
S. aureus. Further, an air cleaner equipped with a TiO
2-coated ceramic filter significantly decreased the number of bacteria floating in hospitals. These results indicate that air cleaners with TiO
2-coated ceramic filters could be useful in reducing the incidence of nosocomial infections.
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