Ionization Inactivates MS2 Virus

The Journal of Aerosol Science conducted a study on the effect of air ions on aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 virus was studied. MS2 is a commonly used surrogate for the influenza virus and now being used as a surrogate for other RNA viruses, such as SARS CoV-1 and SARS CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.

Abstract

The effect of corona discharge-generated air ions on the filtration of aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 was studied. A carbon-fiber ionizer was installed upstream ofa medium-efficiency air filter to generate air ions, which were used to charge the virus aerosols and increase their filtration efficiency.

After the virus aerosols were captured by the filter for a certain time interval, they were exposed to a newly incoming air ion flow. Captured virus particles were detached from the filter by sonication, and their antiviral efficiency due to air ions was calculated by counting the plaque-forming units.

The antiviral efficiency increased with ion exposure time and ion concentration. When the concentration of positive air ions was 107 ions/cm³, the antiviral efficiencies were 46.1, 78.8, and 83.7% with exposure times of 15, 30, and 45 min, respectively.

When the ionizer was operated in a bipolar mode, the number concentrations of positive and negative ions were 6.6 × 10 and 3.4×10 ions/cm³, respectively, and the antiviral efficiencies were 64.3, 89.1, and 97.4% with exposure times of 15, 30, and 45 min, respectively.

As a quantitative parameter for the performance evaluation of air ions, the susceptibility constant of bacteriophage MS2 to positive, negative, bipolar air ions was calculated as 5.5×10-3,5.4×10-3 and 9.5×10-3, respectively.

These susceptibility constants showed bipolar ion treatment was more effective about 1.7 times than unipolar ion treatment.

Plasma Air bipolar ionization units have been shown to be an effective defense against live SARS-CoV-2.