A type of glass, known as soda lime, and kaolin clay contain nanoparticles capable of reducing viral infectivity by more than 99% in just 10 minutes of contact. This has been discovered by a team of Spanish researchers from the Center for Research in Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (CINN, CSIC-University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias) and the CEU San Pablo University, in collaboration with CISA-CSIC, from the CIMA (University of Navarra), and the Complutense University of Madrid, who have published their study in the journal Materials Today Bio. This finding could help create a product with low-cost and effective inorganic materials to decontaminate liquids, surfaces and air with viruses.
Soda lime glass and kaolin clay are materials that, in addition to inactivating viruses such as the one that causes COVID-19, also act effectively against fungi and bacteria. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, the research refers to the fact that both materials have great antiviral power against the influenza virus, against adenovirus and herpes simplex. Apparently this is due to the fact that they contain nanoparticles of silver and copper oxide, which are capable of deactivating 99% of the infectivity of the virus.
This type of glass and this clay inhibit viruses by 99% at a low price and are compatible with living beings and the environment.
As they explain, when these materials come into contact with viruses, a physical-chemical reaction occurs that inhibits the growth of pathogens. The mechanism of action is due to the properties of the material, which in the case of glass induces virus aggregation, or adsorption in the case of kaolin-based materials, as well as the ions released into the medium.
These materials are environmentally friendly and cheap.
“These materials are capable of significantly inhibiting microbiological growth, whether of bacterial, fungal or viral origin, and are perfectly compatible with living beings and the environment. In addition, they have other important advantages, such as their high stability and low cost, which makes them exceptionally suitable materials for the prevention and control of diseases, both of bacterial and viral origin”, explains Belén Cabal, CINN researcher and a of the study authors.
As Estanislao Nistal, another of the researchers, explains, this antiviral capacity has been tested on different viruses with very different physicochemical characteristics, among them are vesicular stomatitic virus –from the same family as rabies–, HSV-1 virus or herpes simple, adenovirus, influenza virus or SARS-CoV-2, causing the COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing.
This finding could help remove viruses from water or air, making air filters with these materials. All this would reduce the risk of endemic infections in both people and farm animals, which represents a great advance in the prevention of current and future pandemic threats.
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