Method of using virus removal device

Abstract

To provide a method of using a virus removal device that enables the rapid elimination of viruses contained in the air to be treated and viruses contained in the liquid by selecting the liquid to be sprayed from a liquid spray mechanism.SOLUTION: As the liquid to be sprayed from a liquid spray mechanism 3 in a virus removal device, used is an aqueous solution containing an ammonium salt as a radical generation catalyst and a halous acid salt as a radical generation source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for using a virus removal device for removing viruses from gas. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, devices employing various dry and wet mechanisms have been proposed as virus removal devices for killing or removing viruses (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Among these conventional virus removal devices, devices that employ a wet mechanism, such as the device disclosed in Patent Document 3, kill or remove viruses by passing gas through a filter sprayed with a chemical liquid. Therefore, while a higher probability of virus removal can be expected compared to dry mechanisms, there is a problem in that the pressure loss of the gas circulating within the device is large, making the device large relative to the amount of air to be treated.

[0004] In view of the problems with the conventional virus removal devices described above, the present applicant previously proposed a virus removal device that employs a wet mechanism to remove viruses from gas, thereby achieving a high virus removal rate, minimizing the pressure loss of the circulating gas, and enabling the device to be made smaller relative to the amount of air to be treated (see Patent Document 4).

[0005] The virus removal device disclosed in Patent Document 4 is equipped with a cylindrical treatment chamber into which virus-containing gas is introduced, a collector consisting of a rotating brush that is placed within the treatment chamber and collects viruses contained in the gas, a liquid spraying mechanism disposed in the treatment chamber, a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the collector, a gas inlet section for introducing gas into the treatment chamber, a gas discharge section for discharging gas from which viruses have been removed from the treatment chamber, and a liquid mechanism for circulating liquid containing viruses removed from the gas to the liquid spraying mechanism, thereby achieving a high virus removal rate, while having many advantages such as low pressure loss of the circulating gas and allowing the device to be made compact relative to the amount of air to be treated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-10991 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-151654 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-96794 A [Patent Document 4] WO2022-080298 [Patent Document 5] JP 2017-109978 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Incidentally, Patent Document 4 describes that in the virus removal device disclosed in Patent Document 4, the liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism can contain, in addition to water (or hot water), a component that can kill viruses contained in the air to be treated or viruses contained in the liquid.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a method of using the virus removal device disclosed in Patent Document 4, which can quickly kill viruses contained in the air to be treated or viruses contained in the liquid by selecting a liquid to be sprayed from a liquid spraying mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a method of using a virus removal device of the present invention is a method of using a virus removal device having a function of removing viruses from a gas, the method comprising: a cylindrical treatment chamber into which a virus-containing gas is introduced; a collector consisting of a rotating brush that is disposed within the treatment chamber and collects viruses contained in the gas; a liquid spraying mechanism disposed in the treatment chamber; a rotary drive mechanism that rotates the collector; a gas inlet section that introduces gas into the treatment chamber; a gas outlet section that discharges the gas from which viruses have been removed from the treatment chamber; and a liquid mechanism that circulates the liquid containing viruses removed from the gas to the liquid spraying mechanism, The liquid contains an ammonium salt as a radical generating catalyst and an aqueous solution containing a halous acid salt as a radical generating source. Here, the term "virus" includes viruses such as coronavirus, influenza virus, and norovirus.

[0010] In this case, the ammonium salt may be at least one selected from the group consisting of benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium chloride, ammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, dequalinium chloride, edrophonium, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, benzyltriethylammonium chloride, oxitropium, carbachol, glycopyrronium, safranine, sinapine, tetraethylammonium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, suxamethonium, sphingomyelin, denatonium, trigonelline, neostigmine, paraquat, pyridostigmine, phellodendrin, pralidoxime methyl iodide, betaine, betanin, bethanechol, lecithin, and cholines.

[0011] The halogenous acid salt may be a chlorite salt.

[0012] The radical generating source may also include an oxoacid.

[0013] The oxoacid may be at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid, carbonic acid, orthocarbonic acid, carboxylic acid, silicic acid, nitrous acid, nitric acid, phosphorous acid, phosphoric acid, arsenic acid, sulfurous acid, sulfonic acid, sulfinic acid, chromic acid, dichromate, permanganic acid, and halogen oxoacid.

[0014] The liquid may further include an aqueous solution containing a pH adjuster. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the method of using the virus removal device of the present invention, by selecting the liquid to be sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism, viruses contained in the air to be treated or viruses contained in the liquid can be quickly killed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a virus removal device used in a method of using a virus removal device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified embodiment of the virus removal device. [Diagram 3] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified embodiment of the virus removal device, in which (a) is an overall front view, (b) is a sectional view taken along line XX of (a), and (c) is a sectional view taken along line YY of (a). [Figure 4] 11A and 11B are explanatory views showing a third modified embodiment of the virus removal device, in which (a) is an overall front view, (b) is a sectional view taken along line XX of (a), and (c) is a sectional view taken along line YY of (a). [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth modified embodiment of the virus removal device, where (a) is an overall front view, (b) is a CC cross-sectional view of (a), (c) is a DD cross-sectional view of (a), (d) is an AA cross-sectional view of (a), (e) is a BB cross-sectional view of (a), (f) is an EE cross-sectional view of (a), (g) is an F cross-sectional view of (f), and (h) is a G cross-sectional view of (g). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method of using a virus removal device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a virus removal device used in the method of using a virus removal device of the present invention. This virus removal device is for removing viruses from gas and comprises a tubular, preferably cylindrical, treatment chamber 1 into which gas is introduced and viruses are removed from the gas, a collector 2 consisting of a rotating brush with bristles 22 attached to a support 21, which is placed in the treatment chamber 1 and collects viruses contained in the gas, a liquid spraying mechanism 3 disposed in the treatment chamber 1, a liquid storage section 5 equipped with an agitator 4 formed at the bottom of the treatment chamber 1, a rotation drive mechanism 6 for rotating the collector 2 and the agitator 4, a gas inlet section 7 for introducing gas into the treatment chamber 1, a gas outlet section 8 for discharging the gas from which viruses have been removed from the treatment chamber 1, and a liquid outlet section 9 for discharging the liquid containing the viruses removed from the gas. Here, the term "virus" includes viruses such as coronavirus, influenza virus, and norovirus.

[0019] Brushes having bristles 22 planted in a support 21 constituting the collector 2 include brushes in which the bristles 22 are planted in a localized area of ​​the support 21, and brushes in which the bristles 22 are planted and dispersed over almost the entire support 21. Examples of brushes in which the bristles 22 are planted in a concentrated manner in a local area of ​​the support 21 include spiral brushes (this embodiment), disc brushes, and the like.

[0020] The brush constituting the collector 2 is preferably arranged so that the tips of the bristles 22 attached to the support 21 come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical treatment chamber 1 . As a result, the brushes constituting the collector 2 can constantly keep the inner circumferential surface of the processing chamber 1 clean.

[0021] The material of the brush support 21 and the bristles 22 is not particularly limited, but taking into consideration the processing temperature, for example, when the processing temperature is relatively low, such as from room temperature or about 100°C, various synthetic resins such as polyethylene terephthalate resin and polyamide resin, which have relatively low heat resistance, and conductive synthetic resins obtained by mixing powder of good electrical conductors such as metal and carbon with the synthetic resins, can be used. When the processing temperature is higher than the above, synthetic resins with high heat resistance, highly heat-resistant conductive synthetic resins obtained by mixing powder of good electrical conductors such as metal and carbon with the highly heat-resistant synthetic resins, and metals are used. When the processing temperature is increased, materials with particularly high thermal conductivity, such as metals such as copper, aluminum, iron, and stainless steel, ceramic wool, and fibers formed of a mixture of metal and ceramic, can be selected to efficiently absorb the heat in the processing chamber to the collector. When a heating means for heating the collector is provided, the heat generated by the heating means can be efficiently conducted to the surface of the collector. This allows the processing capacity of the device to rise sharply when it is started up, and also allows the process of killing viruses to proceed on the surface of the collector.

[0022] The liquid spray mechanism 3 disposed in the processing chamber 1 has a nozzle 31 for spraying the liquid disposed at a central position of the processing chamber 1 .

[0023] In this case, the bristles of the collector 2 made of a brush at a position Z2 above the position where the nozzle 31 is disposed are It is preferable to configure the support from a hydrophobic (water-repellent) material such as a polyolefin resin, for example, polypropylene resin, a synthetic resin, for example, polyethylene terephthalate resin, or a metal. In addition, the bristles of the collector 2 consisting of a brush at a position Z1 below the nozzle 31 can be made of the same material, or can be made of a hydrophilic material such as polyamide resin nylon, polyvinyl chloride resin, or polyvinylidene chloride resin.

[0024] This allows the gas discharged from the gas discharge section 8 to be discharged in a dry state by the liquid being sifted off by the collector 2, which is made of a brush with bristles made of a hydrophobic (water-repellent) material, at a position Z2 above the position of the nozzle 31 of the liquid spraying mechanism 3. In addition, the virus removal efficiency can be improved by having the viruses entangled and captured by the collector 2, which is made of a brush with bristles made of a hydrophilic material, at a position Z1 below the position of the nozzle 31 of the liquid spraying mechanism 3.

[0025] The position of the nozzle 31 is not limited to the central position of the processing chamber 1 in this embodiment, but may be disposed at an upper position of the processing chamber 1 or provided on the support 21 of the brush that constitutes the collector 2.

[0026] The liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism 3 can contain water (or hot water) as well as a component capable of destroying viruses contained in the air to be treated or viruses contained in the liquid. Examples of this component (chemical solution) include an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid water, surfactants (sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkyl glycoside, alkylamine oxide, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, dialkyldimethylammonium chloride, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, pure soap components (potassium fatty acid, sodium fatty acid), etc.), ozone (water), and photocatalyst substances such as titanium dioxide. These components (chemical solutions) can be directly introduced into the virus removal device from a supply device (not shown), or a generator can be incorporated into the virus removal device. In addition, viruses can also be killed by providing a light source (not shown) that irradiates light that kills viruses, such as ultraviolet light, deep ultraviolet light (excimer laser light), infrared light, etc. (including light intended to generate ozone (water) or interact with photocatalytic substances) in the liquid flow path, such as the treatment chamber 1 or the liquid storage section 5 formed at the bottom of the treatment chamber 1.

[0027] A liquid storage section 5 equipped with an agitator 4 formed at the bottom of the processing chamber 1 temporarily collects and stores the liquid containing viruses that have been captured by the capture body 2 and washed away by the liquid sprayed from the spraying mechanism 3, and then sequentially discharges it via the liquid discharge section 9. Here, the shape of the agitator 4 is not particularly limited as long as it can agitate and discharge the virus-containing liquid stored in the storage section 5, and in addition to a rod-shaped one, a screw-shaped one, a propeller-shaped one, etc. can be used. This allows the virus-containing liquid to be discharged smoothly in a homogenized state. The stirrer 4 may be omitted depending on the properties of the gas to be treated and the contents of the treatment.

[0028] The liquid storage section 5 may be integrally formed at the bottom of the processing chamber 1, or may be detachably disposed in the processing chamber 1 for maintenance or for processing a large amount of viruses.

[0029] The rotary drive mechanism 6 that rotates the collector 2 and the agitator 4 is intended to rotate the collector 2 and the agitator 4 to enhance the virus capture effect of the collector 2 and the homogenization effect of the agitator 4 of the virus-containing liquid stored in the liquid storage section 5. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft of the collector 2 (brush support 21) and the rotation shaft of the agitator 4 are configured as the same shaft, and the rotation drive mechanism 6 is a common drive mechanism, but they can also be separate drive mechanisms. In addition, the rotating shaft of the collector 2 (brush support 21) and the rotating shaft of the agitator 4 are provided with bearings at both ends, enabling high-speed rotation operation of, for example, 1000 rpm or more, but it is also possible to provide bearings only at the upper end. Here, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft of collector 2 is set to about 100 to 3600 rpm, preferably 300 to 2400 rpm, and more preferably 600 to 1800 rpm, taking into consideration the virus capture effect of collector 2, energy consumption, and the like.

[0030] Furthermore, by circulating the liquid collected in liquid storage section 5 to liquid spray mechanism 3, the amount of liquid used and the amount of drainage can be reduced. In this case, a filter, a pump, a switching valve, etc. may be provided in the liquid circulation path (not shown) as necessary. Specifically, in a virus removal device equipped with a treatment chamber 1 having a diameter of 200 mm, the liquid spraying mechanism 3 typically sprays liquid at a rate of several L / min to several hundred L / min, preferably several tens of L / min; however, by circulating the liquid in this manner, the amount of liquid used and the amount of wastewater can be reduced to less than 1 / 10 of the amount of liquid sprayed.

[0031] Incidentally, the virus removal device of this embodiment can be installed in the middle of a duct through which gas flows, or can be installed independently.

[0032] In this case, as shown in a first modified embodiment in FIG. 2, in addition to a pump 32 for circulating the liquid, a fan 10 for moving the gas can be provided.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in a second modified embodiment in FIG. 3, gas can be introduced into the processing chamber 1 from the gas inlet 7 and exhausted from the processing chamber 1 via the gas exhaust 8 solely by the action of the airflow generated by the rotation of the collector 2 consisting of a rotating brush. In the processing chamber 1 forming the gas inlet 7 and the gas outlet 8, airflow guide plates 11, 12 are formed so that a pressure difference is generated by the airflow generated by the rotation of the collector 2 consisting of a rotating brush, and gas is introduced from the gas inlet 7 into the processing chamber 1 and discharged from the processing chamber 1 via the gas outlet 8. In this case, the collector 2 made of a rotating brush can be a spiral brush (this embodiment), a disk brush, a brush with bristles 22 dispersed and planted over almost the entire support 21, or the like. In the case of a spiral brush, the flow rate (treatment amount) of the gas can be increased by aligning the flow direction of the gas in the treatment chamber 1 (from bottom to top) with the feed direction of the spiral brush by adjusting the rotation direction of the collector 2 made of a rotating brush. Here, instead of the air flow guide plate 11, an opening on the processing chamber 1 side of the gas introduction part 7 can be formed in the center of the processing chamber 1, where the pressure becomes low due to the action of the air flow generated by the rotation of the collector 2 consisting of a rotating brush, as shown in the third modified embodiment shown in FIG. 4, or an opening on the processing chamber 1 side of the gas introduction part 7 can be formed in a direction in which the dynamic pressure of the air flow (arrow in FIG. 5(h)) generated by the rotation of the collector (not shown) consisting of a rotating brush does not act, as shown in the fourth modified embodiment shown in FIG. 5, or instead of the air flow guide plate 12, an opening on the processing chamber 1 side of the gas discharge part 8 can be formed in a direction in which the dynamic pressure of the air flow (arrow in FIG. 5(d)) generated by the rotation of the collector (not shown) consisting of a rotating brush acts, as shown in the fourth modified embodiment shown in FIG. 5, so that gas can be introduced from the gas introduction part 7 into the processing chamber 1 and discharged from the processing chamber 1 via the gas discharge part 8. Furthermore, the gas exhaust part 8 can be formed in an elbow shape, as shown in a fourth modified embodiment in FIG. 5, so that gas can be exhausted upward from the processing chamber 1 through the gas exhaust part 8. The configuration can be changed as appropriate, for example by forming the gas introduction section 7 at the top (upper surface) of the processing chamber 1 and the gas exhaust section 8 at the bottom of the processing chamber 1, or by arranging the axes of the processing chamber 1 and the collector 2 (rotating brush) in a horizontal or oblique direction other than the vertical direction (all of which are not shown). This allows the independently installed virus removal device to be configured to operate solely using the driving force of the rotation drive mechanism 6 that rotates the collector 2 (and the agitator 4, which can be provided as necessary), simplifying the device configuration and making it easier to balance the gas flow rate (processing volume) and virus removal capacity compared to when a fan 10 is provided to circulate the gas.

[0034] This virus removal device washes away viruses captured by collector 2 with liquid sprayed from spraying mechanism 3, and temporarily collects them in liquid storage section 5 equipped with a stirrer 4 formed at the bottom of treatment chamber 1. The virus-containing liquid is then sequentially discharged from liquid storage section 5 via liquid discharge section 9. This allows virus-containing gas to be treated smoothly, maintenance-free, in a low-load environment with little pressure loss, without using large amounts of liquid, and in particular allows the device to be made smaller relative to the amount of air to be treated. In addition to removing the viruses contained in the gas, by using a chemical liquid that kills viruses in the liquid sprayed from the spraying mechanism 3, the viruses removed from the gas and contained in the liquid can be killed. Furthermore, performance tests confirmed that this virus removal device can capture a wide range of sizes, specifically, at least particles contained in gas, and remove them from the gas (particle removal rate of 0.04 μm particles: 89%, 0.1 μm particles: 95%). This means that it can be said to have excellent removal performance against viruses (coronavirus size: approximately 0.1 μm).

[0035] The method of using the virus removal device of the present invention aims to quickly kill viruses contained in the air to be treated or in the liquid by selecting the liquid to be sprayed from liquid spraying mechanism 3 in the above-mentioned virus removal device.

[0036] Specifically, this liquid comprises a radical generating catalyst and a radical generating source as disclosed in Patent Document 5, characterized in that the radical generating catalyst comprises one or both of ammonium and a salt thereof, and a substance having at least one of Lewis acidity and Brönsted acidity, and more specifically, the liquid comprises a radical generating catalyst and at least one selected from the group consisting of a halous acid, a halous acid ion, and a halous acid salt, the radical generating catalyst comprises an ammonium salt represented by chemical formula (XI), and the Lewis acidity of the radical generating catalyst is 0.4 eV or more and is not acidic.

[0037] [ka]

[0038] In chemical formula (XI), R 11 , R 21 , R 31 and R 41 each represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and may contain an ether bond, a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an amide bond, or an aromatic ring; R 11 , R 21 , R 31 and R 41 may be the same or different, X - is an anion.

[0039] Here, the ammonium salt represented by chemical formula (XI) is preferably an ammonium salt represented by chemical formula (XII).

[0040] [ka]

[0041] In chemical formula (XII), R 111is an alkyl group having 5 to 40 carbon atoms, which may contain an ether bond, a carbonyl group, an ester bond, an amide bond, or an aromatic ring, R 21 and X - is equivalent to chemical formula (XI).

[0042] Furthermore, the ammonium salt represented by the chemical formula (XII) is preferably an ammonium salt represented by the chemical formula (XIII).

[0043] [ka]

[0044] In chemical formula (XIII), R 111 and X - is equivalent to chemical formula (XII).

[0045] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ammonium salt represented by the chemical formula (XI) is at least one selected from the group consisting of benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium chloride, ammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, dequalinium chloride, edrophonium, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, benzyltriethylammonium chloride, oxitropium, carbachol, glycopyrronium, safranine, sinapine, tetraethylammonium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, suxamethonium, sphingomyelin, denatonium, trigonelline, neostigmine, paraquat, pyridostigmine, phellodendrin, pralidoxime methyl iodide, betaine, betanin, bethanechol, lecithin, and cholines.

[0046] Here, benzethonium chloride (Bzn + Cl - ) can be represented, for example, by the chemical formula (XIV). Benzalkonium chloride can be represented, for example, by the chemical formula (XIII):111 is an alkyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, and X - is the chloride ion.

[0047] [ka]

[0048] The halo acid is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of chlorous acid, bromous acid, and iodous acid.

[0049] The radical generating source may also include, for example, an oxoacid or a salt thereof (eg, a halogen oxoacid or a salt thereof). Examples of oxoacids include boric acid, carbonic acid, orthocarbonic acid, carboxylic acid, silicic acid, nitrous acid, nitric acid, phosphorous acid, phosphoric acid, arsenic, sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, sulfinic acid, chromic acid, dichromate, and permanganic acid. Examples of halogen oxoacids include chlorine oxoacids such as hypochlorous acid, chlorous acid, chloric acid, and perchloric acid, bromine oxoacids such as hypobromous acid, bromous acid, bromic acid, and perbromic acid, and iodine oxoacids such as hypoiodous acid, iodous acid, iodic acid, and periodic acid.

[0050] It is also preferable that at least one of water and an organic solvent is contained as a solvent, and thus the composition can be produced by mixing the radical generating catalyst and the radical generating source with at least one of water and an organic solvent.

[0051] Furthermore, the liquid may be an aqueous solution containing a pH adjuster. Examples of pH adjusters include sodium hydroxide, monosodium phosphate, and disodium phosphate.

[0052] Here, in this liquid, ammonium functions as a radical generating catalyst and also has Lewis acid properties. The Lewis acidity of the radical generating catalyst is, for example, 0.4 eV or more, and the upper limit of the Lewis acidity is, although not particularly limited, for example, 20 eV or less.

[0053] This liquid can be used as a disinfectant against viruses and the like, and has sufficient disinfecting effect even at low concentrations. It is also highly safe because the aqueous radicals of the active ingredient are generated in the required amount only when a causative substance such as a virus is present.

[0054] Next, we will show the results of a demonstration test, "Indoor Airborne Virus Test," in which this liquid was used as the liquid to be sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism 3 of the virus removal device.

[0055] [Test Purpose] To verify the ability to remove viruses floating in the air

[0056] [Test Method] The test was conducted based on the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association JEM 1467 Appendix D "Evaluation test of removal performance against airborne viruses." 1) Conditions Test bacteria: Influenza virus H1N1 Iowa strain Virus removal device: A virus removal device of a second modified embodiment shown in FIG. 3 liquid: Tap water Chemical solutions: benzalkonium chloride, sodium chlorite, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide solution (sodium chlorite 100 ppm MA-T System (registered trademark) (on-demand generation type chlorite ion aqueous solution) system), Earth Chemical's "Aqua Create (registered trademark) Deo" (product name) Test chamber: approx. 25m 3 Closed chamber Virus removal device installation location: Center of the testing room Method of spraying airborne viruses: Nebulizer Method for collecting airborne viruses: The viruses were collected using an impinger from a position 1.2 m above the floor near the center of the test chamber. Temperature and humidity in the test chamber: Test area 1 Starting temperature: 19.8℃, humidity 27% At the end: Temperature 17.2℃, humidity 99% Test area 2 Starting temperature: 20.1℃, humidity: 33% At the end: Temperature 16.3℃, humidity 99% Test area 3 Starting temperature: 21.0℃, humidity: 34% At the end: Temperature 18.2℃, humidity 99% Test area setup: Table 1

[0057] [Table 1]

[0058] 2) Preparation of virus solution The virus solution used was prepared by diluting the virus solution cultured in embryonated chicken eggs with PBS. 3) Spraying of test virus liquid Four nebulizers were prepared, each containing 5 mL of the test virus liquid, and the test virus liquid was sprayed for 20 minutes while the stirring fan was running. After spraying was completed, the stirring fan was run for an additional 2 minutes. 4) Collection of airborne viruses After spraying, immediately after stirring for 2 minutes, the air in the chamber was collected at a flow rate of 10 L / min for 10 minutes using a midget impinger containing 10 mL of cell maintenance medium supplemented with 0.015% sodium thiosulfate, and this was used as the collected liquid for measuring the virus titer at 0 minutes. The virus removal device was then operated, and the air in the chamber was similarly collected after a predetermined time had elapsed. The collected impinger liquid was used as a measurement sample. 5) Measurement of viral titer The recovered liquid was serially diluted 10-fold, and 0.1 mL of each was inoculated into MDCK cells. After culturing at 37°C in carbon dioxide gas (5%) for 5 days, the cultured cells were observed under a microscope to confirm the presence or absence of viral proliferation based on the appearance of CPE (cytopathic cell transformation) in the cultured cells, and the viral titer per 1 mL of the measurement sample was calculated. 6) Evaluation From the obtained results, the reduction rate compared to the initial value was calculated according to the following formula. Decrease rate (%)=(1-1 / 10 減少桁数 ) x 100 7) Judgment In this test, when the reduction rate obtained was 99% or more (log reduction value: 2.0 or more), the test product was determined to have a virus removal effect.

[0059] [Test Results] The test results are shown in Tables 2 and 3 (the rate of reduction compared to the start of the test). In all test groups, a decrease in virus titer was observed over time. In terms of the reduction rate, in test area 1, the removal rate was over 99% after 90 minutes and over 99.9% after 120 minutes. In test areas 2 and 3, the removal rate was over 99% after 30 minutes and over 99.9% after 60 minutes. In addition, the virus titer of the liquid recovered from the virus removal device was measured, and the virus titer was detected at all times. It was not served. The results showed that in all cases, the virus reduction rate showed a decrease in airborne viruses over time, and all treatments achieved a removal rate of over 99.9%, achieving the evaluation standard of a reduction rate of over 99%, demonstrating that the virus removal device is effective in removing viruses. However, there was a difference in the time it took to reach a 99.9% reduction, with the drug acting faster than tap water, and it was also confirmed that the greater the amount of circulating water, the higher the reduction rate after 30 minutes. This shows that compared to tap water, the drug solution can more quickly destroy viruses contained in the air being treated and viruses contained in the liquid.

[0060] [Table 2]

[0061] [Table 3]

[0062] In conjunction with the above demonstration test, the noise level of the virus removal device during operation was measured. As a result, the sound level when tap water was used as the liquid was 58db, while the sound level when the chemical liquid was used was 53db. It was discovered that the benzalkonium chloride contained in the solution causes the liquid to foam, which in turn provides a sound-deadening effect.

[0063] Next, the results of a "circulating water salinity measurement test" in which saline solution was used as the liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism 3 of the virus removal device are shown.

[0064] [Test Purpose] Ensure that no liquid solutes are present in the exhaust of the virus removal device.

[0065] [Test Method] 1) Dissolve salt (sodium chloride) in 25L of tap water to set the salt concentration at 4.4%. 2) Collect circulating water at the start of operation, 1h, 2h, 3h, 4h, and after re-adding water. 3) Measure the salinity of the collected water using a salinity meter.

[0066] [Test Results] The test results are shown in Table 4. Since there was no change in the salinity of the circulating water between the start and after rehydration, it was confirmed that the exhaust from the virus removal device did not contain any liquid solute components (sodium chloride). From these results, it was confirmed that even if a chemical liquid is used in the liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying mechanism 3 of the virus removal device, the solute components of the chemical liquid are not discharged and do not affect the environment of the space being treated.

[0067] [Table 4]

[0068] The above describes the method of using the virus removal device of the present invention based on its embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and the configuration can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The method of using the virus removal device of the present invention employs a wet mechanism to remove viruses from gas, thereby achieving a high virus removal rate, minimizing the pressure loss of the circulating gas and allowing the device to be made smaller relative to the amount of air to be treated. In addition, the method has the property of quickly killing viruses contained in the air to be treated or viruses contained in liquid, and therefore can be widely used for virus removal devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Processing Room 11 Air flow guide plate 12 Air flow guide plate 2 Collector (brush) 21 Support 22 Hair 3. Liquid spray mechanism 31 Nozzle 32 Pump 4 Agitator 5 Liquid storage section 6 Rotational drive mechanism 7 Gas introduction section 8 Gas exhaust section 9 Liquid drain 10 Fan

Claims

1. A method for using a virus removal device having a function of removing viruses from a gas, the device comprising: a cylindrical treatment chamber into which a virus-containing gas is introduced; a collector consisting of a rotating brush that is disposed within the treatment chamber and collects viruses contained in the gas; a liquid spraying mechanism disposed in the treatment chamber; a rotary drive mechanism that rotates the collector; a gas inlet section that introduces the gas into the treatment chamber; a gas exhaust section that exhausts the gas from which viruses have been removed from the treatment chamber; and a liquid mechanism that circulates the liquid containing the viruses removed from the gas to the liquid spraying mechanism, A method for using a virus removal device, characterized in that the liquid used is an aqueous solution containing an ammonium salt as a radical generating catalyst and a hypohalite as a radical generating source.

2. 2. The method for using a virus removal device according to claim 1, wherein the ammonium salt is at least one selected from the group consisting of benzethonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium chloride, ammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, dequalinium chloride, edrophonium, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, benzyltriethylammonium chloride, oxitropium, carbachol, glycopyrronium, safranine, sinapine, tetraethylammonium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, suxamethonium, sphingomyelin, denatonium, trigonelline, neostigmine, paraquat, pyridostigmine, phellodendrin, pralidoxime methyl iodide, betaine, betanin, bethanechol, lecithin and cholines.

3. 2. The method for using a virus removal device according to claim 1, wherein the halogenous acid salt is a chlorite.

4. 2. The method for using a virus removal device according to claim 1, wherein the radical generating source includes an oxoacid.

5. The method for using a virus removal device according to claim 4, characterized in that the oxoacid is at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid, carbonic acid, orthocarbonic acid, carboxylic acid, silicic acid, nitrous acid, nitric acid, phosphorous acid, phosphoric acid, arsenic acid, sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, sulfinic acid, chromic acid, dichromate, permanganic acid and halogen oxoacid.

6. 2. The method for using a virus removal device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid used is an aqueous solution further containing a pH adjuster.

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