Self-sterilising plastic film kills viruses using room light

Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have developed a self-sterilising plastic film that can kill viruses that land on its surface with room light. Described in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, the film is low-cost to produce and readily scalable, and could be used for disposable aprons, tablecloths and curtains in hospitals.

The product is coated with a thin layer of particles that absorb UV light and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). These kill viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The technology used to create the film also ensures it is degradable, unlike other disposable plastic films.

The researchers tested the film for antiviral activity using four different viruses — two strains of influenza A virus, a highly stable picornavirus called EMCV and SARS-CoV-2 — exposing it to either UVA radiation or with light from a cool white light fluorescent lamp. They found that the film is effective at killing all of the viruses — even in a room lit with just white fluorescent tubes.

The breakthrough could lead to a significant reduction in the transmission of viruses in healthcare environments but also in other settings that uses plastic films — for example, food production factories.

“This film could replace many of the disposable plastic films used in the healthcare industry as it has the added value of being self-sterilising at no real extra cost,” said Professor Andrew Mills, who helped carry out the research. “Through rigorous testing we have found that it is effective at killing viruses with just room light — this is the first time that anything like this has been developed and we hope that it will be a huge benefit to society.”

Co-researcher Dr Connor Bamford added, “Pathogenic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza will continue to be a global problem for years to come. In developing self-sterilising thin plastic films, we have created a low-cost technology that could have a significant impact on the transmission of such concerning viruses in a healthcare environment and other sectors where they are used.”

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletters and bimonthly magazine.