With all new technologies comes trepidation.
Questions and concerns need to be addressed to make sure you, the customer, are confident with the decisions you are making.
In all decisions, being armed with as much information as possible goes a long way to alleviate any questions you may have.
In this article we are going to a answer a question we frequently get asked;
How can ESOL™ electrolyzed water can be applied in your industry.
Before we go on, are we too far along in this journey? Do you need a reminder of what ESOL™ electrolyzed water is?
No? carry on..
Depending on the intended project, ESOL™ electrolyzed water can be applied in a number of different ways:
- Fogged
- Misted
- Sprayed
- Dosed
Effective biocidal action of any given active agent is reliant on:
- Concentration
- Exposure time
- Composition of the contact surface (with rough and/or absorbent surfaces requiring a longer contact time)
- Presence of organic loading
- It is important to utilise a delivery mechanism that will maximise the ‘kill potential’ of any disinfectant
Cold store fogging / misting
Environmental decontamination is used in many industries to reduce surface pathogens to a level that is no longer harmful.
Fogging disinfectants is common in many cold store facilities.
Fogging is the process of adding liquid, vapour or moisture into the air.
During manufacture, food can be exposed to microbiological cross-contamination from surfaces and the air, which may give rise to food spoilage.
Aerosol delivery technology utilises solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gas, in contrast to vapours, in which the substance itself is in the gas phase.
Specialist ultrasonic technology is used to deliver the smallest possible water droplets into the environment (sub-5 micron) - to humidify the area and produce a Relative Humidity in excess of 100% RH to create a hydrating ‘fog’.
In the cases of fresh fruit and vegetables, the 12 hours immediately after harvest will determine the quality of fresh produce for the remainder of its life, as well as the length of its life.
Fogging systems augment the quality, shelf life and weight of fresh produce by conditioning the product during this critical window.
For environmental decontamination applications within habitable spaces, certain biocides are too toxic e.g., hypochlorite’s, or flammable (e.g., alcohols) or have the potential to leave unwanted residues on surfaces (e.g., iodophors).
Electrolyzed water has none of these drawbacks and is safe enough to be used on food for human consumption and livestock.
Spraying with electrolyzed water
Decontamination of large areas is required in many industries such as:
- Livestock buildings
- Medical areas
- Hospital quarantine
- Food preparation areas
For example, hospitals require large area decontamination to reduce the transmission of some pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infection.
Typically in the NHS, detergent is used for cleaning most non-critical surfaces. However, detergent cleaning:
- Does not eliminate microbial contamination;
- May spread contamination from surface to surface;
- Requires a drying step to avoid leaving a surface wet and prone to biofilm development.
Spraying ESOL™ electrolyzed water allows selective coverage and application over a large area whilst being more affordable than misting being done by hand.
There is also the option of spraying under high pressure if required which has the added benefit of removing large pieces of debris by force.
Dosing with electrolyzed water
Regardless of geographical location, all drinking and waste water is required to go through a water disinfection process.
It is critical to public health to ensure all chemical, solids, contaminants and bacteria are removed to safe guard humans and animals.
Currently UK drinking water is disinfected with Chlorine. Disinfection with Chlorine brings with it the formation of trihalomethanes THM’s (disinfection by-products)
Trihalomethanes (THM's) are only one group of many hundreds of possible disinfection by-products—the vast majority of which are not monitored. This brings rise to the concerns of human and animal health and also the negative effects on the environment.
ESOL™ can be used as a direct replacement to chlorine.
It works by oxidising pathogens; it is non-toxic, rapidly degradable and with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity it can kill:
- E coli
- Cryptosporidium
- Legionella
- Clostridium difficile
- HIV
- Swine Flu
- Polovirus
- MRSA
It has the same, if not more effective germ-killing properties than Chlorine but it is safe to drink, kinder to the environment and less costly to produce.
In summary
There are several different methods for the application of ESOL™; each business and project is different therefore ESOL™ is adaptable
ESOL is a safe alternative to Chlorine; it is as effective at killing pathogens but poses no dangers to the handler or the health of you or I.
Do you use Chlorine in your industry at the moment?
Do you want to make changes in your business that will have a positive effect of the environment and human health?
It may be that our technology is not the right fit for you?
Related content: 5 reasons why an ESOL™ generator might NOT be suitable for you
Or do you need more information?
Visit our frequently asked questions page
Do you still have some unanswered questions? We would love to hear from you
Sources: https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/infection-control/environmental-decontamination-1-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/7025083.article
