Effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide fumigation using an automated fogging system for environmental management in educational institutions

Abstract

Abstract The presence of microbial contamination on surfaces in early childhood education facilities poses a significant public health risk. Traditional cleaning methods often fail to fully eliminate pathogens, necessitating the development of more effective disinfection strategies. Hydrogen peroxide fumigation has emerged as a promising approach due to its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, environmental safety, and ability to penetrate biofilms, with potential implications for broader environmental management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel, fully automated fogging cabinet that generates hydrogen peroxide dry mist for disinfecting toys in educational settings. The most frequently detected bacteria before disinfection included Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus hominis , accounting for 30.3–40% and 22.8–32.2% of total bacterial contamination, respectively. The overall disinfection effectiveness was 97.8%, 97%, and 98.7% across the three tested facilities ( p  < 0.001). Near-complete eradication (≥ 99%) was observed for Acinetobacter lwoffii , Pseudomonas luteola , and Staphylococcus haemolyticus . The findings corroborate previous research on the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide disinfection, including studies on public transportation and healthcare settings. The project, conducted with MEDILAB Sp. z o.o., resulted in the development of a portable, automated fogging cabinet for disinfecting toys. A pilot study was carried out in three educational institutions in Białystok, Poland, where 180 microbiological samples were collected from plastic toys before and after disinfection. The process used a hydrogen peroxide-based mist generated inside the cabinet over 30 min. Samples were incubated, and bacterial colonies were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (VITEK MS). Statistical analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the disinfection method. This study demonstrates that the newly developed hydrogen peroxide-based fogging cabinet is an effective and reliable method for mitigating bacterial contamination on toys in early childhood education facilities. Its automated, contact-free application minimizes human error and ensures consistent disinfection, supporting the broader implementation of hydrogen peroxide fumigation as a standardized disinfection strategy in educational and other high-contact environments. Furthermore, the proposed automated fogging system represents an innovative approach by eliminating human error and ensuring uniform disinfectant distribution.