Standards ISO 18061:2014(E) and ISO 27447:2019(E) outline the methods that tests for determining the antiviral and antibacterial activity of photocatalytic materials must comply with.

Standard UNI 11484, on the other hand, describes the method for determining the capacity to reduce nitric oxide NO gas thanks to photocatalysis.

Photocatalysis is a natural process whereby a photocatalyst produces a strong oxidation process that degrades organic and inorganic pollutants, converting them into harmless substances.
The tests to demonstrate the antiviral properties of ADVANCE^® were conducted in accordance with the ISO 18061:2014(E) standard using Human Coronavirus 229E.
There are 4 virus sub-families by the name of “coronavirus”, known as alpha, beta, gamma and delta, but only alpha and beta viruses can infect humans. From a chemical standpoint, coronaviruses are always composed of glycoproteins (capsids), phospholipids and proteins (cell walls and membranes), therefore, photocatalysis degrades them regardless of whether they are alpha or beta (as demonstrated by proven scientific research).
Demonstrating the efficacy of ADVANCE^® against Human Coronavirus 229E – which belongs to the alpha sub-family (HCoVs 229E), RNA-positive – means proving the efficacy of Advance against alpha and beta Coronaviruses and any of their possible mutation variants.

The tests to demonstrate the antibacterial properties of ADVANCE^® were conducted in accordance with the ISO 27447:2019(E) standard. According to this standard, a product can be said to be antibacterial when it is tested with two bacterial strains, Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus, which are considered to be among the most dangerous and common due to the following:

1. Escherichia Coli (a bacterium very frequently found on the surfaces of hospitals, kitchens, cafeterias and restrooms) belongs to a group known as Gram-negative bacteria. Demonstrating the efficacy of ADVANCE^® against this bacterium means proving that the treatment can reduce faecal contamination on surfaces and that, as a result, this efficacy can be extended to include other Gram-negative bacteria, in accordance with the method and requirements of standard 27447.
2. Staphylococcus Aureus (a bacterium that grows on human skin and mucous membranes commonly found in the air and surfaces due to contact with the hands, human breath and sneezing; S. aureus contamination can be found in most surfaces in hospitals, cafeterias and the home environment) belongs to the Gram-positive group of bacteria. Demonstrating the efficacy of ADVANCE^® against this bacterium means proving that the treatment can reduce contamination from human sources on surfaces and that, as a result, this efficacy can be extended to include other Gram-positive bacteria, in accordance with the method and requirements of standard 27447.

As a further testament to the antibacterial properties of ADVANCE^®, Italcer had other laboratory tests performed, always in accordance with standard ISO 27447:2019(E), on Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, these, too, belonging to the Gram-positive and Gram-negative families, respectively, and which are the cause of frequent infections.

Italcer also requested the TCNA to carry out a “survival antiviral test” of Human Coronavirus 229E on glass and other surfaces that do not have Advance technology. The results confirm, once again, the properties of ADVANCE.