Bacterial filtration efficiency of green soy protein based nanofiber air filter.

High bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) filters, based on nanofibers derived from blends of grain proteins and poly-ethylene-oxide (PEO), were produced by an electrospinning process. Specifically, polymer blends consisting of purified soy flour/PEO with a ratio of 7/3 were spun into nanofibers and characterized. A new laboratory based experimental apparatus for testing BFE was designed and used to test BFE of bacterial aerosols consisting of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Performances of soy protein based nanofiber filters with nanofiber mass varying from 1 to 5 g/m2 as well as a nanofiber filters prepared from pure PEO were compared. The results showed that BFE values for filters containing 5 g/m2 protein based nanofibers and PEO nanofiber filter were 100 and 81.5%, respectively. The results also indicated that the BFE increased as the protein content in the nanofiber filter increased. These novel protein based nanofiber filters have demonstrated a clear potential for effective removal and retention of E. coli bacteria during air-filtration. These filters can be effectively deployed in environments such as hospitals and senior residential areas to reduce bacterial infections.