FEB. 12–HENDERSON, Nevada–Emergency Filtration Products Inc. has received preliminary results from the testing of its nanotechnology-enhanced 2H Technology filtration system that will be integrated into an environmental isolation mask.
The company’s core 2H Technology filtration system utilizes a combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic filters able to capture and isolate bacterial and viral microorganisms with efficiencies of 99.9 percent at 0.027 microns.
The environmental isolation mask utilizes the company’s patented 2H Technology and this new nanotechnology to enhance the capture-and-isolation characteristics of the filter media.
The test procedure consisted of challenging test materials with a Gram-positive organism that would simulate agents that could possibly be used in biological warfare. The spore forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis is the cause of the lethal anthrax disease. Anthrax bacteria are too dangerous to use in this type of study. However, Bacillus anthracis is genotypically and phenotypically very similar to Bacillus thuringiensis, a member of the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria demonstrating similar spore forming characteristics.
Therefore, Bacillus thuringiensis, a closely related bacterium was used. All tests were performed by Nelson Laboratories Inc., Salt Lake City.
Test materials included untreated samples and samples treated with reactive nanoparticle materials placed on the filter surface. At the conclusion of 24 hours, the untreated test samples showed a 6507% increase in the bacterial colony forming units, whereas the samples treated with a minimum of nanoparticles showed a 21.68% reduction of the bacterial colony forming units.
These tests indicate that the 2H Technology environmental mask with nanotechnology treated filters enhances the filters’ capabilities to arrest the aggressive growth of endo-spore forming bacteria.
“The results presented in this study indicate that the nanoparticulate treated test samples were effective in containing the quick growth of endo-spore forming bacteria,” says Douglas Beplate, EFP’s president. “With these test results in hand, the company will begin production of the environmental mask for sale to military, government and private sectors.”