INTRODUCTION: After two pandemics in less than a decade, it is evident that efforts to combat microbes are failing. Since the invention of the first surgical mask in the mid-19th century, personal protective equipment proceeds walking separate from technological advancement, so that the masks used daily by the world’s population remain practically unchanged since their invention. This project intends to change that, bringing copper technology to act as an active element in the elimination of viruses and bacteria. These, when in contact with conventional masks, survive for up to 72 hours on cotton, thus making these masks remain infectious for 3 days after use, greatly increasing the likelihood of contagion. With a copper filter added to the fabrics, this time drops to approximately 1 hour, radically increasing its efficiency. Objective: Therefore, the objective of this project is the production of a new copper filter medium with electrostatic capacity, through laboratory experiments supported by a systematic literature review, which evaluates the use of copper as an efficient mean for the elimination of viruses and bacteria over the centuries and contemporaneity. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Electrostatic potential applications were carried out in a series of prototypes built from a thick copper mesh (aperture size – 0,08mm), added to conventional cotton wefts, which formed several masks. After the experiment, the presence of DDP (difference of potential) in the material was verified (around 50.000V), guaranteeing the contact of copper with the pathogenic elements eventually filtered. RESULTS: Experiments were carried out on cultures of E.coli bacteria, proving by spectrophotometry and manual counting that the number of colonies present on the filter after periods of 1, 6 and 24 hours were substantially reduced. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is noteworthy that the method developed is cheap and easy to reproduce, potentially greatly reducing the costs of large-scale production and enabling a cheap product with broad access to health professionals and the population of all social strata.
