Abstract
Today, fungicides are part of the basic tool kit for indoor surface maintenance. However, fungi develop resistance to fungicides, which consequently accelerates the evolution of virulence. Fungicides also carry the risk of adverse effects in humans. Galvanic microcells are a new tool for fungal control on indoor surfaces. We used two types of electrodes, Zn and Cu, with two potential anti-fungal mechanisms: the oligodynamic action of the metal ions themselves and the electricidal effect of the current between the electrodes. The size of the inhibition zone is related to the distance between the electrodes. We hypothesized that the unique geometric properties of the observed inhibition zone could be modelled using multi foci curve Cassini ovals. Moreover, the size of the inhibition zone possessed two maximum values, while the shape of the observed inhibition zones correlated with the shape of the electric field strength. The control activity of the galvanic microcells correlated with decreasing water content in building materials. Thus, this acute antifungal system works the best in damp building environments where the risk of fungal contamination is highest.
Highlights
Today, fungicides are part of the basic tool kit for indoor surface maintenance
We propose galvanic microcells as a new tool for fungal biocontrol on indoor surfaces
The control activity of galvanic microcells correlates with the water content in building materials, and galvanic microcells can turn to rust when there is an environmental risk of uncontrolled indoor dampness or decay
Summary
Wojciech Spisak[1], Andrzej Chlebicki2 & Mariusz Kaszczyszyn[1] received: 15 June 2016 accepted: 06 October 2016 Published: 27 October 2016. The control activity of the galvanic microcells correlated with decreasing water content in building materials. This acute antifungal system works the best in damp building environments where the risk of fungal contamination is highest. The control activity of galvanic microcells correlates with the water content in building materials, and galvanic microcells can turn to rust when there is an environmental risk of uncontrolled indoor dampness or decay. Certain metals and their salts are known to exhibit considerable biocidal properties. Especially heavy metals, show this effect to varying degrees, the most well-known examples being silver and copper
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