Disinfectant Aids Fight of COVID-19, Other Viruses
By Mining.com University of Central Florida researchers are using an engineered nanostructure called cerium oxide modified with small amounts of silver to produce a disinfectant that can kill viruses on a surface for up to seven days. Cerium oxide is known for its regenerative antioxidant properties. Thus, it could be a powerful weapon against COVID-19 and other emerging pathogenic viruses. The disinfectant is being created at UCF in partnership with Kismet Technologies, whose founder, Christina Drake, said she was inspired to develop it after seeing a worker at a grocery store spraying disinfectant on a refrigerator handle, then wiping off the spray immediately. The cerium oxide nanoparticles are modified with small amounts of silver to make them more potent. “Initially, my thought was to develop a fast-acting disinfectant,” Drake said in a media statement. “But we spoke to consumers — like doctors and dentists — to find out what they really wanted from a disinfectant. What mattered the most to them was something long-lasting that would continue to disinfect high-touch areas like door handles and floors long after application.”
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www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I November 2021
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