Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Microbial Load On Used Disposable Face Masks: Exploring Sustainable Disinfection Methods, Clara Ray

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Face masks have become common-place in public settings since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, with many people choosing to wear masks in order to mitigate the risk of becoming infected with viral or bacterial infections. Two of the most widely-available types of masks are cloth masks, which may be reused if cleaned properly, and disposable surgical masks. Despite the fact that surgical masks are intended for one-time use, many people chose to store and re-wear them. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in biological contamination on surgical face masks after daily wear and overnight …

Overall Microbial Activity On Shopping Carts Handles: Relationship With Ambient Temperature, Relative Humidity, Moisture, And Ultraviolet Radiations, Grayson Rentz, Atin Adhikari

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Goals and Objectives: Microbial contamination in shopping cart handles were previously reported but how the microbial load in shopping cart handles vary in different seasons and its relationship with ambient temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), surface moisture, and ultraviolet radiations (UV) are largely understudied. This study aims at exploring microbial loads on shopping cart handles in three grocery stores during fall and winter and its relationship with real-time T, RH, moisture, and UV levels.

Theoretical Framework: Most of us do not realize that microbes are often present on many common stuffs outdoors. When we touch shopping cart handles by bare …