Sterilization of paper during crisis.

ABSTRACT

Paper sheets represent one of the infection risk sources inside educational and administrative institutions under biological pandemics. So, the present study aimed to validate the efficiency of gamma radiation or dry heat techniques to sterilize contaminated paper sheets with different indicator pathogens while retaining their structure. The results showed that gamma radiation at 6, 12, or 24 kGy can successfully kill Gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi, and fungi such as Candida albicans. Moreover, dry heating at 100 °C for 60 min, 150 °C for 30 min, or 200 °C for 15 min can be successful in paper decontamination of all tested species. Surprisingly, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs proved that gamma radiation at 6 kGy, dry heat at 100 °C for 60 min or 150 °C for 30 min or 200 °C for 15 min, is suitable for paper sheet sterilization while maintaining their structure. Ultimately, dry heat is a simple, effective, fast, safe, and inexpensive technique for paper sterilization. It may be used as a precautionary step inside educational institutions, especially during written examination periods, to ensure a safe life for academic members during biological pandemics such as COVID-19.