Triethylene Glycol Can Be Predeployed as a Safe Virus-Killing Indoor Air Treatment
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: To theEditor—Lorca-Oró et al [1] robotically dispersed ultraviolet light to inactivate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a simulated hospital room. Unfortunately, this treatment cannot be used when humans are present, and was directed more at disinfection of surfaces rather than virus in the air. Furthermore, as the authors cite (reference 22 in their article), the possibility of infection from surfaces is considered low. By contrast, transmission of the virus by indoor air is generally accepted as the primary route of transmission [2]. A recent preprint describes the evolving threat from indoor air transmission, and concludes “These findings … emphasize the importance of ventilation, filtration, and air disinfection to mitigate the pandemic and protect vulnerable populations” [3]. What is not yet widely known or appreciated is that there already exists a safe, indoor air treatment that kills viruses, almost certainly including SARS-CoV-2, and can be predeployed in the presence of humans. This treatment is composed of formulations containing triethylene glycol (TEG). One of the main reasons that this method is not yet available to the public is the glacial speed of regulatory agencies in approving the use of TEG-based products to disinfect indoor atmospheres. This is delaying a potential path to ending the pandemic, and at an unnecessary cost of many lives. TEG has been shown to be safe for humans to breathe at low concentrations [4], and has also been shown to kill viruses on surfaces [5] or in the air at those same low concentrations [6, 7]. This reagent is presently used in some air freshener sprays [8], and has been used for special effects in theaters for decades [9] with no reported health-related consequences. Although there are various other air-treatment or virus-killing approaches, such as enhanced ventilation, HEPA air filtration, or UV light treatment of the air (similar to that in Lorca-Oró et al [1]), all these methods suffer a critical weakness: there is a gap in time between when the virus might be introduced into the air and when that air is treated. During that gap, transmission and infection will occur. Some other proposed methods, such as ozone treatment of the air, cannot be safely used when humans are present. The advantage of TEG is that it can be predeployed into indoor environments to kill viruses as soon as they enter the air, minimizing the gap in time between entry and killing of the virus. As microbiologists, clinicians, chemical engineers, environmental health and science, and public health professionals, we call upon public health officials and regulatory agencies worldwide to fast-track approval of TEG-based air treatments, so that we can all breathe a bit easier during this and future pandemics. Financial support. No financial support was received for this work.
Language: English
Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4298086414