TITLE:
Antimicrobial Characteristics of Untreated Wood: Towards a Hygienic Environment
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Tanveer Munir, Hélène Pailhories, Matthieu Eveillard, Florence Aviat, Didier Lepelletier, Christophe Belloncle, Michel Federighi
KEYWORDS:
Wood, Antimicrobial Characteristics, Physicochemical Properties
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.11 No.2,
February
15,
2019
ABSTRACT: Wood, as a contact surface, has been used for centuries but is usually questioned because of its porosity and organic composition. It has natural antimicrobial properties and, hygienically, can stand the comparison with other materials such as plastic, glass and steel. In this review, we focused on potential microbe-inhibiting properties of wooden surfaces being used in hygienically important places like health institutes and food industries. This article addresses the questionable properties of untreated wood like hygroscopicity, porosity, roughness and chemical composition, and their relation to the hygienic and antimicrobial nature of this material. The other factors linked to the hygienic properties of wood, such as age, species and type of wood, have also been discussed. Our analysis of literature will create better understanding for acceptance of wood as a safety renewable resource. It also provides an outline for future research considering wood material in critical healthcare or food industries.