VFE110 Virus Filtration Efficiency (VFE): Bacteriophage

VFE110 Virus filtration efficiency (VFE): The bacteriophage test calculates the percentage of viral material blocked by the mask. Essentially, it tests the mask's ability to filter airborne viruses. A higher VFE means the mask filters out most of the viral material from the air. Professional masks have an average VFE of 99,86 percent.

The VFE110 viral filtration efficiency (VFE) test follows the same procedure as the bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) test, except that the challenge organism used is a bacteriophage.

Challenge controls are maintained in 3.0-0.3 plaque forming units with an average particle size of 1100 plus/minus 3300 µm. This allows filtration efficiencies to be reported up to 99,9 percent. A minimum of 5 samples is recommended for these tests. Each sample should be at least 10 x 10 cm.

The bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) test determines filtration efficiency by comparing bacterial control numbers with test article waste counts. The test is performed using staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. After the filtration medium has been preconditioned, a liquid suspension of staphylococcus aureus is aerosolized and introduced into the filtration medium at a constant flow rate of 28,3 liters per minute.

This test method offers many advantages over other filtration efficiency tests. It has been used for years with little or no modification and provides a standard reference for comparison of filtration materials.

The average particle size is tightly controlled and sized using the six-stage live particle Andersen sampler, allowing step-by-step analysis. This test procedure is repeatable and presents a more serious challenge for most filtration devices than would be expected in normal use. A large number of materials can be evaluated in a relatively short time.

BFE testing is commonly performed in conjunction with differential pressure (delta P) testing.

The increased difficulty method is recommended for built-in filters. This procedure uses a higher concentration of difficulty to be delivered to each test material.

Meanwhile, bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) testing is performed on filtration materials and devices designed to protect against biological aerosols, such as face masks, surgical gowns, caps, and air filters.

Our organization also provides VFE110 virus filtration efficiency (VFE): Bacteriophage testing services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.