ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses two directions of minimising the phenomenon of microbial growth in filtering material of respiratory protective equipment. The first of these directions is the application of predictive models to determine the growth rate of microorganisms as a function of environmental conditions and use time. Theoretical part concerning mathematical models, i.e. microbial growth models, microbial inactivation models and collective models, is presented. An overview of available computer programmes used to model microbial growth is also given. On the basis of literature review, a Gompertz model is proposed for predicting the course of microbial growth curves for filtering materials. The results of modelling studies which consider the variable content of dust, humidity, sweat and biocides in the filtering material, carried out for microorganisms with varied growth physiologies, i.e. B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, C. albicans and A. niger, are presented.
The second of the discussed directions concerns development of the so-called antimicrobial textiles. These are biologically active fibrous materials, usually of a complex structure, which contain a biocidal agent chemically or physically linked to the material. Many technological solutions for bioactive filtering materials intended for use in the construction of filtering respiratory protective equipment are presented.
