Survival of Bacteria in Respiratory Protective Filters

The aim of this study was to estimate the susceptibility of Staphylococcus hominis bacteria to the bacteriostatic agent in respiratory protective filters. Four types of filter media of different characteristics were tested. The number of bacteria was estimated by a culture-based method. It was proved that in treated filters the number of S. hominis was significantly reduced, even below the detection limit, while in untreated material bacteria were able to grow and multiply up to 100-fold within 8 hours. There was no correlation between filter structure and changes in the number of bacterial cells.