Removal of airborne bacteria by filtration using a composite microporous membrane made of a pyridinium-type polymer showing strong affinity with microbial cells.

A composite microporous membrane made of poly(N-benzyl-4-vinylpyridinium chloride) that showed strong affinity with bacterial cells was prepared as a filter material for removing airborne bacteria. Thickness, pore diameter and porosity of the membrane were 0.72 mm, 14.5 microm and 63%, respectively. Electron micrographic analysis revealed that the membrane consisted of a very large number of connected beads of 1.4 microm in diameter made of the pyridinium-type polymer. Filtration using the membrane was performed easily at low flow rates with insignificant pressure drop across the membrane. Filtration at 63.7 cm/sec gave 99.98% and 99.996% removal (3.7 and 4.4 log10-unit reduction in concentration) of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in filtrates. Since pores of the membrane were much larger than these bacteria, the efficient removal was best explained in terms of the affinity of the polymer with bacterial cells.