Brazil Develops Plastic That Inactivates Novel Coronavirus Within Minutes

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The material, made of polyethylene and with silver and silica microparticles, was able to eliminate 99.84 percent of the novel coronavirus particles after two minutes of contact.

Handles, elevator call buttons, and even touch-sensitive cell screens will no longer be able to transmit the novel coronavirus due to an adhesive plastic developed in Brazil, which can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 within minutes upon contact.

According to the study released yesterday, the material, made of polyethylene and with silver and silica microparticles (silicon oxide) in its structure, was able to eliminate 99.84 percent of the novel coronavirus particles after two minutes of contact.

Launched by Promaflex, a company specialized on the production of this kind of film, the material was developed by Nanox with the support of the innovative research program for small companies of the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP).

The technical standards that determine the antiviral activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces establish that the material should confirm this action in at least four hours.

Tests that complied with the ISO 21702:2019 standard, conducted in the level three biosafety laboratory (NB3) of the University of São Paulo Biomedical Sciences Institute, showed that the material developed can eliminate the virus much faster.

“The plastic film with the additive proved to be capable of achieving this goal in a much shorter time frame and the virucide action increased with time,” said Lucio Freitas Junior, researcher at the institute, quoted in a statement released by the FAPESP.

Samples of materials with and without the silver and silica microparticles incorporated in its structure were used for the study, which were maintained in direct contact with SARS-CoV-2 at different time intervals.

After the established periods of time, the novel coronavirus present in the material samples was collected and placed in contact with Vero cells – type of cell lineage used in microbiological cultures – to assess the capacity of infection and multiplication after exposure to the adhesive plastic.

The results showed a reduction of almost 100 percent in copies of SARS-CoV-2 that came in contact with the adhesive plastic samples after two minutes of exposure to the material.

“As silver and silica microparticles are added to the plastic during production, the antimicrobial action is maintained throughout the material’s useful life,” said Luiz Gustavo Pagotto Simões, director of Nanox.

The manufacturer of the plastic with the additive recommends its use for up to three months, to avoid the wear of the material by excessive contact.

The adhesive film is the second plastic material with silver and silica micro-particles marketed by Nanox, which has developed a reusable mask made from flexible plastic and with the additive applied to its surface.

Silver and silica microparticles were also applied by Nanox in fabrics for the development of anti-Covid-19 clothing.

Silver and silica microparticles are soaked on the surface through an immersion process, followed by drying and fixing, called ‘pad-dry-cure’.

Brazil is the Portuguese-speaking country most impacted by the pandemic and one of the most affected in the world, ranking second in terms of number of deaths (more than 4.3 million cases and 132,006 deaths), behind the United States.

The Covid-19 pandemic has already caused at least 929,391 deaths and over 29.3 million infections in 196 countries and territories, according to a balance made by the AFP French news agency.