Coordination of European Research on Industrial Safety towards Smart and Sustainable Growth
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for reliable personal protective equipment (PPE) and for rapid, validated methods to assess antiviral performance of textiles and filtration materials. Antiviral activity can potentially be enhanced using engineered nanomaterials due to their surface properties, but introducing such materials into PPE raises challenges related to efficacy, test standardisation, durability under extreme conditions and safety for users and the environment. Existing antiviral textile tests often rely on live viruses and high biosafety laboratories, which limits scalability and preparedness for future pandemics. Moreover, different nanomaterials (e.g., silver, zinc oxide, combinations) may provide different antiviral performance and risk profiles, and their immobilisation on PPE substrates must remain effective under realistic storage and use conditions. ANOPSA addresses these needs by developing and comparing antiviral nanomaterial-enabled PPE concepts, strengthening validated testing approaches (including virus-like particles) and assessing potential risks associated with nanomaterials in PPE.
The project investigates how virus-like particles can be developed and used as validated reference materials for antiviral efficacy testing outside BSL-3 virology laboratories, supporting scalable assessment capacity. It examines the antiviral performance of different nanomaterials and nanomaterial combinations applied to PPE-related textiles and filtration materials using ISO 18184:2019-based testing and comparative protocols. Another research question concerns how optimisation of nanomaterial selection and application affects efficacy and whether combinations yield benefits over single materials under comparable test conditions. The project explores safety considerations for users and the environment, including biological evaluation approaches aligned with ISO 10993-5 and prioritisation of potential risks. It also investigates how extreme storage or use conditions (e.g., temperature) influence nanomaterials and their immobilisation on PPE, and how results can inform preparedness and standardisation-relevant guidance.
ANOPSA will deliver a validated testing platform based on virus-like particles to support antiviral efficacy studies without reliance on high biosafety virus laboratories. It will provide comparative antiviral performance results for selected nanomaterials and combinations on PPE-relevant textiles, benchmarked against ISO 18184:2019 protocols. Outputs include optimisation guidance for nanomaterial-enabled PPE materials, evidence on stability under extreme conditions, and an assessment of user and environmental safety considerations including prioritised risk elements. The project will produce recommendations supporting standardisation, preparedness and safer deployment of antiviral nanomaterial-enabled PPE solutions.
The project is structured into five work packages. - WP1 – Project management: ensures coordination, reporting and quality control. - WP2 – Accident data analysis: analyses accident databases to identify patterns and emerging risks. - WP3 – Safety performance indicators: develops indicators supporting proactive safety management. - WP4 – Validation and application: tests indicators in representative operational contexts. - WP5 – Dissemination: supports communication and stakeholder engagement.
BMK
Austria
