The objective of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of silver- and copper-modified polylactide (PLA)–poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) nonwovens used as materials for the production of air purifying respirators. The antimicrobial activity of six types of PLA nonwovens, with different PDMAEMA, Ag, and Cu contents, were tested using the ATCC 100 method. Microorganisms were isolated from the air in 12 workplaces within composting plants, tanneries, and museums. Dominant bacterial and fungal species were identified using 16S RNA and ITS1/2 molecular analysis, respectively. Air samples collected from the composting plant and tannery were highly contaminated with bacteria, while those from museums with fungi (103–104 CFU/m3). We identified potentially pathogenic microorganisms from the following genera: Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, Candida, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, and Paecilomyces. PLA nonwovens containing 5.1% poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) and 2.7% Ag or 3.8% Cu exhibited good antimicrobial properties (R > 99.9%) against the pathogenic strains found in the above workplaces. These nonwovens also have good inspiratory resistance parameters.
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