Technological Institute of the Philippines

Department of Chemical Engineering

Principles of Biochemical Engineering

Proposal Title: Innovation of Disinfecting Floor Mats to a Biodegradable Product

Proponent(s): Angela Nicole G. Lising

RATIONALE

On the 11th day of March 2020, World Health Organization declared that the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a
global pandemic. It is not expected to disappear until a vaccine is made, physical distancing and some community quarantine
may be the new normal for the world today. Mortality rates throughout the world may still continue to increase even though
physical distancing is practiced. COVID-19 could be inhaled through the droplets of an infected person who sneezes or coughs.
Also, these droplets could stay for a while in the surfaces which a person could touch and be transferred to your eyes, nose or
mouth. With the guidelines given on how to avoid having the virus, people will still be needed to continue their lives.

This proposal aims to disinfect shoes going inside disinfected facilities to avoid more contamination of the virus. Disinfection of
health facilities, work areas, public places and even our homes is the new normal and will be an extra hassle job. We should
always remember that prevention is better than cure.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) can transfer from air through droplets to surfaces including where you stand, to your
hands leading to your eyes, nose and mouth accidentally without you remembering it happened. Always take note that the virus
does spread mainly through person to person by inhalation of their droplets from when they sneeze or cough, but these droplets
lands also in surfaces such as the floor where the bottom of our shoes has contact to (Khabbaza, 2020). Increase of positive
COVID-19 case numbers and spread of the virus may occur with the modification of the community quarantine, more people are
going to their work places while the virus is still dangerously present.

To avoid these from happening taking extra precaution like wearing of PPEs (Personal Protective Equipments) and disinfecting
public areas, health facilities and their work places is needed. Experiments have shown that floor swabs taken around the area of
a hospital resulted to high positive test results, wherein its pharmacy floors had a 100% rate of positivity which does not contain
any patients at all (Crist, 2020). The viruses from these surfaces can survive for up to nine days and still remain infectious
(Kampf et al., 2020). The Department of Health stated that spraying your shoes with alcohol or using a foot bath may effectively
disinfect shoes (Owen, 2020) and having also this disinfecting foot bath rather than spraying a disinfectant to every person who
goes in and out an area is much convenient. These foot baths or mats are reusable and needs disinfecting solution to work, it may
be your DIY disinfecting solution or your purchased one. These solutions commonly contains bleach which is a highly hazardous
chemical, industries use these in large quantities and dispose it to our environment. Wildlife is at risk other than the pollution it
makes, because when it is released to bodies of water it reacts with the other chemicals present and thus make a highly dangerous
toxin that will have serious negative effects to our environment (Wiggins, 2020). Also, for this pandemic it is not hygienic for a
person to wash the mat. Possibilities that the virus may still be present is high and again this is another extra hassle job for
someone.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study is to develop biodegradable floor mats which can help to disinfect shoes from COVID-19. Particularly
intended to focus on the following:

1. Design a biodegradable mat which has effective liquid retention.

2. Select an effective disinfecting solution which is environmentally friendly

METHODOLOGY

Production of the Mat

 Using regenerated cellulose fiber from renewable cellulosic plants such as beech trees, pine trees, and bamboo will produce
Rayon. A cellulosic fiber is derived from plants where it is created by dissolving the original natural materials and
regenerating them. Hence, rayon is known for being a semi-synthetic material because it still does originate from natural
compounds. Rayon still is a biodegradable material, it was found out that it is actually faster than a cotton to decompose. It
is more effective to be broken into pieces and thrown into a compost bin. Rayon rugs are really popular for being soft and
extremely absorbent.

Disinfecting Solution
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are surface-active, antimicrobial, high production volume chemicals with a
broad application in cleaning agents and agriculture. Quaternary ammonium compounds have the basic structure NR4+.
Those possessing R groups with long alkyl chains are known to be especially effective as antimicrobial agents and
particularly useful for the disinfection of containers and surfaces. It is commonly used to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold.

Although QACs are often found in cleaning and disinfecting agents but is considered to be aerobically biodegradable, the
degradation is affected by its chemical structures, dissolved oxygen concentration, complexing with anionic surfactants, etc.
A study shows that with the predicted environmental concentrations for QACs that are applied to soils with manure are in
the order of 3.5 mg kg⁻¹. Based on literature data, the median PEC of QAC in sewage sludge amended soils is 25 µg kg ⁻¹.
The positively charged QACs are mainly sorbed to clay minerals. High sorption affinity of QAAC(quaternary
alkylammonium compounds) in organoclay preparation indicates a potentially important role of the most commonly
employed smectite minerals, which are likewise typical soil minerals (Shown in the figure). Meaning, QACs could be
effectively degrade in compost bins, also to help clay rich soils to reduce toxicity while increasing persistence.

With its enough thickness and the ample amount of QAC solution, the rayon mat would be soaked with the QAC solution. It is
more effective to be used with a rubber tray under to increase the liquid retention of the mat like the common disinfecting foot
mat available in the market. This should last for a while and it is not needed to be replaced quickly. An inch of the sole of your
shoe should be soaked and be disinfected. This product will degrade effectively through composting or even landfills, difference
is it will consume a longer time.

References

J. Khabbaza, (2020) Can Coronavirus Live on the Bottoms of Shoes?, clevelandclinic,

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-coronavirus-live-on-the-bottoms-of-shoes/

C. Crist, (2020) CDC: COVID-19 Can Spread 13 Feet, Travel on Shoes, WebMD,
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200414/cdc-covid-19-can-spread-13-feet-travel-on-shoes

G. Kampf et al., (2020) Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal
agents, doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022

C.J. Owen, (2020) How to Make a Disinfecting Foot Bath, According to a Cleaning Expert, realliving,
https://www.realliving.com.ph/cleaning-organizing/home-care/how-to-make-a-disinfecting-foot-bath-according-to-
a-cleaning-expert-a1746-20200404

K. Wiggins, (2017) Cleaning With Bleach: 6 Reasons Why You Should Be Cautious, Compact Appliance,
https://learn.compactappliance.com/cleaning-with-bleach/