The Impact of Gaseous Ozone Penetration on the Disinfection Efficiency of Textile Materials

ABSTRACT The utilization of gaseous ozone (a powerful oxidant) in air, for disinfection and sterilization purposes, has been extensively studied for diverse applications; however, the optimal deployment of this technology for textile disinfection is deserving of further research attention and is this the focus of this work. In this study, the penetration efficiency of ozone gas into hard-to-reach regions of different garment types is critically examined. The impacts of garment packing density, hanging orientation and ozonation duration are also considered, and the resultant disinfection efficiencies are comparatively analyzed. An ozonation chamber fitted with remote ozone detection is utilized for the ozonation of fabric swatches inoculated with Escherichia coli bacteria. The number of colony-forming units per cm2 and the bacterial lawn area fraction are evaluated pre- and post-ozonation to quantify the level of disinfection. This study shows that the attainment of sufficient ozone concentrations in hard-to-reach regions of different garment types coupled with the inter-garment spacing utilized are vital for effective decontamination. This study also demonstrates the effectiveness of ozonation as a necessary technology for decontamination, particularly in this era, where the sterilization of textiles and other materials is paramount for public health and safety.