Engineers test N95 mask reuse

Disposable face masks have been vital in the fight against Covid-19 and soon they could be reused under a new system being developed by University of Canterbury researchers.

N95 masks are routinely used by frontline medical workers and staff in New Zealand’s managed isolation and quarantine facilities. Thousands are thrown out every day, but scientists are developing disinfection methods that could make multiple uses possible.

Engineers are testing the number of times that masks and items of personal protective equipment (PPE) can be reused without compromising the efficacy. The system involved directing a jet of synthetic blood at the surface of the material to simulate a scenario that can happen during surgery.

The research team was building a mobile disinfection unit in Taranaki, which could be moved in shipping containers across the country or overseas to wherever it was needed.

Associate Professor Mark Staiger of the university’s college of engineering said the project had the potential to help cut ‘‘mountains’’ of plastic waste.

‘‘In China alone there are hundreds of thousands of tonnes of PPE going to landfill each day,’’ he said. ‘‘At the same time, a lot of countries are running out of PPE and are having to reuse PPE multiple times, making the work of medical workers highly risky.’’

The team hoped the method could be ready before the end of this year.