Projects / Programmes
Introduction of chemo-thermal disinfecting laundering procedures of hospital textiles
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.14.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Textile and leather |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T470 |
Technological sciences |
Textiles technology |
hospital textiles, chemo-thermal, laundering procedure, disinfection, ecology
Researchers (2)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
19880 |
PhD Sabina Fijan |
Microbiology and immunology |
Researcher |
2005 - 2008 |
425 |
| 2. |
06095 |
PhD Sonja Šostar - Turk |
Textile and leather |
Head |
2008 |
843 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Results of different recent studies confirm the increase of nosocomial infections and the increase of microbial resistance. Therefore hospital hygiene is of great importance. One of the possible causes of nosocomial infections are inappropriately disinfected textiles. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate if the disinfection efficiency of laundering procedures for hospital textiles is appropriate. Washed hospital textiles shouldn’t contain microorganisms that cause diseases because their users are patients with impaired immune systems and should therefore be protected from infections with inappropriately disinfected textiles. Most Slovenian laundries use thermal laundering procedures for hospital textiles. For these procedures at high temperatures (90 °C) the energy and water consumption is very high, besides this fact these is an increasing number of hospital textiles of cotton and polyester blends which cannot withstand such high temperatures of thermal disinfection. Besides; these laundering procedures are not environmental friendly. On the other hand; decreasing of the temperature of laundering procedures enhances the possibility of pathogenic microorganisms to survive the laundering procedure. Therefore is necessary to introduce new adequate washing and disinfecting agents with adequate chemo-thermal disinfection effects at lower temperatures. The disinfection effect will be determined in the laboratory washing machine by simulating different laundering procedures using different washing and disinfecting agents at different temperatures and by the use of bioindicators for determining the antimicrobic laundering effect. The bacteria: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium terrae, Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa will be used for determining the antibacterial laundering effect. Bacillus cereus will be used for determining the antisporidic laundering effect. The fungi Candida albicans will be used for determining the antifungal laundering effect. Certain strains of rotavirus, calicivirus and hepatitis A virus will be used for determining the antiviral laundering effect. Sweat will be used as a substrate for simulating human excrements and will be inoculated together with the chosen bacteria, fungi and viruses onto bioindicator fabrics to simulate real laundering conditions. After optimisation in the laboratory washing machine, the appropriate laundering procedures will be transferred to a chosen laundry for hospital textiles and the chemo-thermal disinfection effect of laundered will be tested on-site. With the sensor developed in the EU project INNOWASH for on-line measurements of temperature, pH-value, electric conductivity and turbidity in the processes of textile finishing, we will measure the above mentioned parameters as well as redox potential with the intention of examining if the sensor is also usable for laundry water and to test the dosage of disinfection agents based on active oxygen. This will prevent overdosing of disinfection agents which causes damages to textiles and problems during ironing. We will also conduct measurements of parameters of wastewaters from the laundering procedures in order to investigate the environmental influence of chemo-thermal disinfection laundering procedures. For this we will measure the parameters according the valid regulation of the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia (No. 45, 2002) (temperature, pH-value, suspended substances, sediment substances, free chlorine, total nitrogen, COD-value, BOD5-value, AOX-value, anionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants) and compare the results with the limit values of regulation. With this research we will introduce new, environmental friendly washing and disinfecting agents and examine whether they also assure a chem.-thermal laundering efficiency. Based on the results of the research of antimicrobial effect of laundering procedures we will confirm mainly new insight on the existence o...
Significance for science
- new findings on the presence of rotaviral RNA in wastewater samples after laundering and thus confirming inadequate disinfection effect of laundering procedures. The presence of rotaviral RNA on various control points in the hospital laundry published for the time, i.e.: technical equipment, storage shelves, transport vehicles, personnel’s hands, damp textiles and folded laundry. The presence of rotaviral RNA on all positive controls after 24 hours (cotton textiles, folding table and industrial dryer) and thus confirming the survival on various surfaces in the laundry.
- new findings on temperature and laundering conditions at which microorganisms do not survive laundering procedures using various disinfection systems and detergents. In the research of the laundering procedure with the bath ratio 1:5, duration of 35 min, end temperature of 75°C and dosage of 3mL/L disinfection agent peroxyacetic acid in combination with hydrogen peroxide, the following microorganisms survived the laundering procedure before reaching 60°C: Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whilst no microorganisms were found after the completed main washing at 75°C. In this research it was also confirmed that the chosen substrates for simulating human excrements (swine blood, artificial sweat and swine fat) did not have an influence on the survival of microorganisms after the laundering procedure. In another chosen laundering procedure using different disinfection agents (sodium chlorate (I), peroxyacetic acid in combination with hydrogen peroxide and only hydrogen peroxide), a bath ratio of 1:8,a main laundering duration of 43 min at 30°C it was found that Enterococcus faecium survived the laundering procedure for two of the chosen disinfection agents and that no microorganisms survived the rinsing procedure.
- new findings on the possibility of using online sensors in water samples of individual laundering chambers thus improving the laundering and disinfection efficiency.
Significance for the country
- we contributed to the enrichment of Slovenian science in the field of textile hygiene in the form of contributions at local and international conferences where the above described theoretical and practical findings where presented to the broad public.
- we also presented the results at expert meetings of Slovenian textile launderers and thus increased the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises of industrial laundering.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
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Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
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