AUTHOR=Ghedini Elena , Pizzolato Marco , Longo Lilia , Menegazzo Federica , Zanardo Danny , Signoretto Michela 

TITLE=Which Are the Main Surface Disinfection Approaches at the Time of SARS-CoV-2?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemical Engineering

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemical-engineering/articles/10.3389/fceng.2020.589202

DOI=10.3389/fceng.2020.589202

ISSN=2673-2718

ABSTRACT=Among many guidelines issued by the World Health Organization to prevent contagion from novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), disinfection of animate and inanimate surfaces has emerged as a key issue. Considering various transmission routes of coronavirus, one approach to fight against the virus is preventing its propagation by means of disinfecting air, skin or surfaces. A thorough and rational application of an EPA (Environmental Protection Agent) for disinfection of surfaces, as well as a good personal hygiene, including cleaning hands with appropriate products (e.g. 60-90% alcohol-based product) should minimize transmission of viral respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Critical issues, associated with the potential health hazard of chemical disinfectants and the ineffective duration of most of the treatments, have fostered the introduction of innovative and alternative disinfection approaches. The present review aims to provide an outline of methods currently used for inanimate surfaces disinfection with a look to the future and a focus on the development of innovative and effective disinfection approaches (e.g. metal nanoparticles, photocatalysis, self-cleaning and self-disinfection) with particular focus on Sars-CoV-2. The research reviews are, usually, focused on a specific category of disinfection methods and therefore they are limited. On the contrary, a panoramic review with a wider focus, as the one here proposed, can be an added value for operators in the sector and generally for the scientific community.