Аннотация:Background] The animal research personnel are obligated to wear N95 or DS2 respirator to prevent the exposure to laboratory animal allergens and infectious agents.The instruction of mask wearing and the qualitative mask fit test are conducted to new animal research personnel.Since a new animal research person did not fit to any existing masks in our facility, the new mask was considered to adopt, and a large-scale quantitative mask fit test was performed.[Method] Using the instrument for measuring the intra-mask pressure and the leakage rate, the quantitative mask fit test was conducted on 135 personnel when they wore the DD02-N95-1 (SHIGEMATSU WORKS) or the existing masks (provisional designation as N95A, N95B, N95C, or DS2A).The test pass criterion was when the average leakage rate at normal breathing, deep breathing, turning head side to side, moving head up and down, and talking was below 5%.[Result] The test pass rate at DD02-N95-01 was 80% (108/135).The rate at N95A, N95B, N95C, and DS2A were 7% (1/14), 66% (50/76), 6% (1/18), and 43% (10/23), respectively.[Discussion] The great difference of test pass rate was observed among the N95/DS2 products.It was considered that the preparation of N95/DS2 products with fine fit, and the selection of the optimal N95/DS2 product through the mask fit test were of importance for the health and safety in the animal research personnel.Decontamination using formalin is common to eliminate microbiological pollution of laboratory equipment in many research facilities; however, the required time is a significant burden and the residual toxicity of formalin has become a major issue.Peracetic acid, an alternative disinfectant used in decontamination is devoid of the safety issues because the chemical decomposes spontaneously, with no residual toxicity, enabling rapid, reliable, and safe daily decontamination.In this work, we used FOG ACT® and/or FOG WORKS®, which automatically nebulize material to the atmosphere, to decontaminate a safety cabinet and a breeding room via complete atomization of PBio Actril® or Minncare® (peracetic acid-based disinfectants).We evaluated the efficacies of the procedures by culturing the biological indicator containing spore-forming bacteria.As a result, in the safety cabinet, both the work area and the HEPA filter were decontaminated.The animal room was also completely and rapidly decontaminated without affecting the stainless steel cages, or brass water nozzles.Thus, space decontamination using this system is very effective; researchers and experimental animals are protected from residual toxicity, strongly supporting the new decontamination method as an alternative to formalin fumigation.
