By Manuel Sánchez Castro
The experiment aims to test for the first time the effectiveness of aerosolized oxidants as a disinfectants in microgravity conditions, specifically on surfaces. The experiment investigates the feasibility of using aerosolized oxidants in microgravity, and whether the disinfecting properties of aerosolized H2O2 against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores are the same in microgravity as on Earth. The study will use the non-toxic and non-infectious biological indicators that consist of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spore populations immobilized on stainless steel plates. The indicators will be used to test the efficacy of oxidants disinfecting properties in microgravity by measuring the spore inactivation upon aerosolized exposure. The experiment also examines the dynamics and dispersion of aerosolized liquids in microgravity by observing the color change of paper chemical indicators placed throughout the glovebox-contained experimental set-up.