ITC-AICE, UJI and ISS La Fe apply bactericidal ceramics in health facilities

The Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC-AICE) is coordinating the Safesink project, which involves the Department of Chemical Engineering and the MicroBio group of the Predepartamental Unit of Medicine of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló (UJI), and the Intensive Care Medicine Research Group of the La Fe Health Research Institute to improve hygiene in healthcare facilities and contribute substantially to the reduction of nosocomial infections, i.e. hospital-acquired infections.

Safesink is funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) and co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Programme for the Valencian Community 2014-2020. The project consists of developing a prototype adaptable to different water end points to carry out a treatment based on the bactericidal properties of modified ceramic particles. This intervention would ensure the elimination of bacteria potentially present in the aquatic environment.

The devices under development will be sustainable and economically competitive on the market, and easy to attach to siphons, taps and other elements to maintain excellent hygienic quality in sanitary appliances such as sinks or showers. This intervention will prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms, the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and the production of bacterially laden aerosols. Like so, ceramic takes on a different function to its traditional use by also acting as a bactericidal agent in times when it is essential to maintain asepsis as far as possible, especially in the hospital environment.