How are the trays at the airport security lines antimicrobial? How do you make a tray microbial without cleaning it?
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Some substances just don’t allow for a lot of bacterial growth.
Copper is one example; it can mess with bacteria and kill them.
Additives to the plastic trays perform a similar function to copper, disrupting the structure of the bacteria and killing it.
.. and can we trust them to actually be anti microbial?
Some elements are naturally antimicrobial through chemical/molecular processes. Silver and copper, for example, strip electrons from molecules in the cell wall causing it to break down/die.
They react with the microbes chemically and destroy them. Copper and silver does this by stripping electrons. Pure wood (like, wood with no finishings – not implying there is a wood atom) will strip water from the cells too which can cause cell death as well. Wood cutting boards when dry are much more safe then plastic ones for this reason. Any finishing such as lacquer will however create a barrier though. I believe some butchers used to spread sawdust around for this reason.
Also, Heat is an option albeit not really safe to use in an airport.
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If I recall, the TSA grey plastic bins you see at airports are using a plastic formulation that includes one of Microbans fine powdered zinc or silver mixed in.
The zinc or silver ions in the powder formulation mixed in with the plastic are toxic to many forms of bacteria.
Aren’t like brass doorknobs anti microbial?
They use a special chemical to treat the treys, typically that treatment last 5 to 6 years before it has to be replaced.
As others have said, the antimicrobial properties are usually based on certain additives or elements like zinc. However, antimicrobial has basically turned into a marketing term, not a true reflection of the item’s resistance to microbes.
Walk through any patient unit at a hospital. Every piece of equipment was sold to them as having antimicrobial properties. And every manufacturer knows it’s basically meaningless. Same goes for security trays.
For the systems with automatic tray feed/return there is an option of a UV sterilisation unit
It’s usually on the outfeed end of the system on the bottom of the tray feed (return section)
Having additives in the trays would be difficult, as any substance that has an atomic value over the trays plastic material would cause problems for the systems detection algorithm
The trays are tested specifically to work with local civil aviation certification TSA, ECA etc
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