Disinfectant use is set to grow significantly over the next decade, for home use, for business use and in healthcare to prevent the spread of infection and diseases.
We were very interested to read a recent article written by Daniel Daggett, executive director of sustainability at cleaning technologies company Diversey, entitled ‘Cleaning Products and Indoor Air Quality in Healthcare’. It highlights the problem hospitals and clinics face in fighting the spread of infection, and yet also the need to consider air quality for the public.
An excerpt from the article reads: “Historically, the solution has been to use the most aggressive chemistry and cleaning methods to ensure the highest level of hygiene and cleanliness. Although routine cleaning can help reduce pollutants and pathogens, those cleaning products have also been shown to contribute to indoor air pollution in some situations.
“While eliminating pathogens associated with healthcare acquired infections is critical, care must be taken to maintain good indoor air quality (IAQ) and safety for patients, healthcare workers, and the public.”
The article notes that the prevalence of asthma, allergies, respiratory disease, and other illnesses can be exacerbated by poor IAQ in healthcare. Daggett points to the use of ‘green’ cleaning products as a potential solution, as well as training staff in how to use products correctly and also new technologies that do not need chemicals.
A significant priority area for Aqua21 and our technology is to develop solutions for the healthcare sector to address the issue of heavy chemical use and infection control. Disinfectants using chemicals such as chlorine are a double-edged sword, they can disinfect if used appropriately, but heavy reliance on them and over application leads to poor air quality, skin irritations and added to that there is the chemical residues and environmental impact associated with these kinds of products.
Aqua21’s point-of-use water treatment technology uses miniaturised ozone application to disinfect. Ozonation is widely recognised as a safe and reliable way to disinfect, and is more effective than chlorine at shorter contact times. However, it has never been widely adopted within industries because it has traditionally involved large, bulky equipment that is power hungry – that is until now.
Aqua21 has not only miniaturised ozone technology, we have significantly reduced the power requirements, so that it can be run from a small power board that would fit in the palm of your hand, and we have reduced the unit cost. Our integrated sensing technology will mean that not only can we treat water, but our IoT sensors will test the water and adjust ozone to ensure the appropriate dose for the specific use. For drinking water that would be one level of quality – for healthcare disinfection it would be a much high biocidal quality.
We are in little doubt this innovative technology will be transformative for healthcare around the world, and that not only does it ensure safety and infection control, but it has no ‘downsides’ – no adverse effect on air quality, no potential skin irritation, no chemical waste going into the environment. Find out more about how ozonation works here.