Non-thermal plasma efficiently decontaminates sensitive materials from respiratory viruses.

Introduction: Heat- and moisture-sensitive porous materials such as plush toys, paper products, and foam are widely used in pediatric and healthcare environments but cannot be decontaminated by conventional liquid disinfectants, heat, or UV-based methods. This creates a need for alternative dry, non-thermal technologies. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) offers a promising approach for disinfecting such materials without compromising their integrity. Methods: In this study, we assessed the virucidal efficacy of a prototyped NTP device on four clinically relevant respiratory viruses-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A virus (IAV), human Adenovirus (HAdV), and human Rhinovirus (HRV)-applied to paper, plush fabric, and foam rubber. Results: Material characterization by SEM and XPS demonstrated only mild surface oxidation and no structural damage following NTP exposure. Across all substrates, NTP treatment produced time-dependent reductions in viral infectivity. Maximum reductions ranged from 5.5-6.3 log Discussion: These findings support that NTP could be an effective, residue-free, and material-preserving method for inactivating a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses on porous substrates incompatible with conventional disinfection. NTP thus might represent a valuable tool for safely reusing sensitive items in pediatric and clinical settings and reducing contamination risks where existing methods are impractical.