Disinfection of Electrical Hand Dryer Using Plasma and Ozone

Abstract: Electric hand dryers are more environmentally friendly than hand towels to eliminate solid waste and reduce maintenance of refilling. Hand dryers can attract microbes from the floor or wall. Likewise, hand towel attracts microbes from the environment. We present a two-stage (ozone and plasma) disinfection electric hand dryer to dry hands through viral free air. Ozone can disinfect dryers’ wet internal surfaces and air but can be dangerous in high concentrations. We use it for two seconds to disable microbes by 90%. In air exhaust, there are a pair of plasma generators deactivating the remaining microbes and ozone at the air outlet. With the combination use of ozone and plasma, 99.9% of microbes were disabled. Plasma accelerates the neutralization of ozone to oxygen at the outlet.