Ultraviolet disinfection of activated carbon from microbiological contamination

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to investigate the effectiveness of the use of ultraviolet radiation or a combination of ultraviolet radiation and ozonation in the inactivation of microorganisms in activated carbon "Silcarbon". Design/methodology/approach: Several experimental studies where ultraviolet light, a combination of UV radiation, and ozonation were used have been performed to disinfect "Silcarbon" from microbiological contaminants. Findings: Experimental results have shown that with pulsed xenon lamps and low-pressure mercury ozone lamps, satisfactory results can be obtained in which the total amount of yeast and mould fungi range from 50 CFU/g to 75 CFU/g. Research limitations/implications: It is advisable to continue the study of powder materials, including drugs, on the content of microbiological contaminants to assess their compliance with regulatory requirements. Practical implications: The application of the proposed approach to the inactivation of microorganisms allows one to obtain a safe sorbent on the content of microbiological indicators and can be successfully used in any other field to disinfection powder materials using different modes of UV irradiation. Originality/value: The originality of the article's results proposes a method of disinfection of the sorbent "Silcarbon" from moulds and yeasts for therapeutic purposes in medicine.