The industrial disinfection revolution

SETTINGS SUCH as schools need to maintain a hygienic space to ensure a healthy place to learn where germs and infections are kept to a minimum to keep teachers and pupils in school. With a maze of corridors, classrooms, kitchens, dining areas, toilets and gym halls, janitorial staff require an easy-to-apply and effective cleaner that will provide reliable sanitisation. 

  

Regular deep cleans are also necessary to keep hygiene levels up and eliminate lingering viruses common to the school environment. Although highly effective cleaning is essential, so is remembering that young children will also be working and playing in sanitised areas and there is likely to be frequent hand-to-mouth contact so any products used need to be non-toxic. 

Hygiene in hospitals and healthcare settings is paramount and, in a place where immunity may already be compromised and medical procedures are taking place, correct sanitisation and infection prevention can be life-saving. Constant routine cleaning accompanied by disinfection of medical devices, and all surfaces is essential to prevent healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and any additional health complications. 

The healthcare industry is also subject to particularly stringent regulations that often dictate which cleaning products can be used. Guides such as the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness help identify what cleaning needs to take place and how it should be done, to inhibit microbial contamination and kill germs. With so many high traffic areas and touch points throughout any hospital, disinfection is essential in preventing cross contamination and outbreaks of infection which can cause serious problems in wards already under pressure and although keen hand-washing can make a difference in overall hygiene, disinfection of surfaces and equipment is also necessary. 

From food and beverage manufacturers to oil refineries, industrial spaces also require the ultimate in hygiene standards. Industrial cleaning demands regular deep cleans which not only prevent microbial spread, but could also prevent factory shutdowns and downtime caused by hygiene standards not being met or from grime keeping equipment working properly. A clean workplace is also a safer workplace with less likelihood of illness or accident if hygiene is addressed correctly.  

There are several disinfection solutions available on the market for I&I cleaning, each with its own set of properties specifically suited for different situations and environments. The trick is to know which product suits which environment.  

Strong, trusted – but harsh 

Sodium hypochlorite - or bleach as it’s more commonly known - still has a place in some settings and remains a popular product among many of our buyers.  

Swimming pools remain significant consumers of sodium hypochlorite where it is frequently used to kill microorganisms, bacteria and viruses and maintain clean and safe water. As it mixes with pool water, bleach releases a chemical called hypochlorous acid which disinfects the water to eliminate any contaminants, support the efficacy of chlorine in the water and help reduce the presence of algae. When needed, it can rapidly increase the chlorine levels to ‘superchlorinate’ the pool if it is necessary to eliminate a higher than normal amount of contaminants. 

Its use in water treatment is long standing due to its oxidation properties and ability to destroy pathogens. As one of the more cost-effective disinfectants available it is widely used on large scales like water treatment plants and in the purification of drinking water.  

A gentler approach

Those looking for a greener alternative may turn to chlorine-free options such as hydrogen peroxide which is still an effective bleaching agent but will break down into water and oxygen, posing no harm to plant and animal life. Its versatility means in it is commonly used across many industries. It sterilizes packaging and surfaces associated with food and beverage manufacture and is used in the production of household cleaners and laundry detergents. It plays an important role in the disinfection of agricultural areas where hygiene is particularly crucial. 

Hydrochloric acid, commonly known as HCL or muriatic acid, plays a similar role and can effectively remove scale and rust from most surfaces. It is often used as a pH regulator in processes where water is used such a food and beverage manufacture. Alternatively, it is also used in outdoor cleaning where removal of dirt and moss is needed or on ceramic surfaces like those found in public bathrooms. 

Acetic acid also provides a more environmentally friendly disinfectant which our customers use in the removal of grease and unwanted limescale or dissolving mineral deposits. This microbial agent can also be found in some healthcare processes to sterilise surfaces and clean wounds. 

The emergent hero product

However, as a supplier and manufacture of chemicals to the industrial cleaning sector, we have seen a huge surge in demand for one particular disinfectant over the last decade, becoming the hero product for those looking for a highly potent, but environment-safe product.    

   

Stalwart products such as the traditional bleach which have enjoyed a position at the top of the tree for centuries, have given way to this relatively new substitute in the industrial cleaning forum. 

While there’s no denying the germ-killing acumen of chlorine-based options such as sodium hypochlorite, which is valued for eliminating potentially life-threatening bugs in hospitals and healthcare settings it can also destroy good bacteria too, so when it is washed away it can be harmful to some microorganisms.  

In a world where companies need to be seen to be caring for the environment, and are increasingly regulated against doing so, many businesses have turned their backs on traditional disinfectants in favour of more environmentally-friendly alternatives.  

Peracetic acid (PAA) differs from these products as it does not remain in the environment and does not leave any residue on surfaces making it perfect for use in functions such as clean-in-place equipment, food and beverage manufacturing, bottling plants and dairy machines.    

Unlike bleach, it does not linger in the environment, or on surfaces. It breaks down into harmless and biodegradable base elements of hydrogen and water which have no adverse effects on watercourses or the natural life living in them.  

This does not affect its potency as a disinfectant and will destroy pathogens such as e-coli, salmonella, the common cold, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, so is ideal for hospitals and deep cleaning.  

PAA can eliminate salmonella, listeria and e-coli and remains effective when used at temperatures as low as 5°C and up to 40°C, while destroying organisms that would ruin food including coliforms, yeast and spores. 

As a biocide, peracetic acid is registered under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) for chemicals used to control harmful organisms in the interest of protecting people, animals and the environment. We recognised that this was likely to become a popular product in industrial cleaning and therefore a key product for the company. Therefore, we invested in becoming listed in the European Chemical Agency’s Article 95 as an approved supplier and are still the only UK-based producer directly approved for the manufacture of peracetic acid. 

This has meant our chemists and technical team have been able to continue developing the product and we now supply dilutions of 2%, 5% and 15% which allows flexibility for our customers. We’ve also created a foamy 2% product which is combined with a surfactant for those who are looking for greater visibility of where it is used and our Airocide PAAD is a DEFRA-approved product specifically designed for disinfection in dairy farms, poultry businesses and other agricultural settings.  

The market is currently populated with many disinfectants, each with their own properties and all of them highly effective. Our recommendation would be to research which ones serves your purposes best, but bear in mind the ever-increasing need for environmental consideration. 

Daniel Marr is commercial director at chemical specialist, Airedale Group.

Fore more information, visit www.airedale-group.com

TEL: 01535 637876