The leading project by Prof. King Lun YEUNG has received funding and made significant impacts in alleviating the viral transmission of the pandemic to the local community
Professor King Lun YEUNG’s recent research has been recognised and funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), HKSAR to combat the Covid-19 epidemic. The project, developed by Prof. Yeung, has shown that the use of antimicrobial hydrogel for flush toilets has greatly reduced viral transmission of the virus through the sewage system in the local community.
These colourless, odourless, and harmless antimicrobial hydrogels will dissolve in the flushing water tank of the buildings for disinfection and prevention of vertical transmission of pathogens via the sewage without causing any structural impact on the drainage pipes of the buildings.
Prof. Yeung’s project trials had been conducted in elderly homes operated by the Haven of Hope Christian Service. It has achieved promising results by effectively reducing more than 95 per cent of viable microbes and inactivating more than 99 per cent of viral particles in toilet flush water, while retaining its effectiveness up to 60 days.
The positive results have yielded additional funding from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) to expand the trial of the antimicrobial hydrogel to a total of over 2880 flats. Its constructive benefits have also led to the acknowledgment of the importance of innovation and technology, and its application to the general public, as the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ms Rebecca Pun, has reiterated, “We are pleased to see that innovation and technology (I&T) products developed by local universities can be applied in public housing estates to prevent the spread of the epidemic and protect the health of the public.” With exceptional ethos and successful outcomes, continuous effort will be made, and reinforced for the greater good of the society.
For more information, please refer to the following link from the HKSAR government’s press release
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202204/27/P2022042700262.htm
