Abstract
The present invention provides the method for highly effective volumetric decontamination allowing to killing on a contact airborne and surface adsorbed bio agents. The method employs two elements, proprietary pneumatic aerosol (fog) generator VAG-2 and electrochemically-activated solutions (EAS). The method was evaluated and shown highly effective for irreversible decontamination of vegetative microbial cells, spores and viruses in test chamber of ~100 ft3 and a room of ~3000 ft3. The electrochemical activation technology is based on producing of meta-stable (activated) solutions with anomalous physicochemical and catalytic reactivity for their further use in various technological processes in place of traditionally applied aggressive chemicals. Usual source solutions for electrochemical activation processes are sodium chloride aqueous solutions with the concentration < 5.0 g/L. EAS bactericidal effectiveness was previously published and demonstrated in different applications, however all applications employed EAS only as washing /decontaminating agent. Present Invention relates to application of EAS as aerosol (fog). The term aerosol, aerosol fog, or fog as the terms are used herein refer to an air-suspended liquid having micro-particle droplets of characteristic cross section and/or size comprising electrochemically-active agents with sufficiently large surface areas whereby probability of contact with bio agents in a process area is high. EAS is produced with commercially available device STEL (FEM-3 flow electrochemical module element; US Pat 5,635,040). EAS is atomized with VAG-2 atomizer, which is the part of the invention. Pneumatic Vortical Aerosol Generator – VAG- 2 is original atomizer allowing for the production of the aerosol particles with the size from 7 to 16 µ at the rate from 5 to 300 ml/min correspondingly, with the possibility to control the required particle size. EAS aerosol has significant advantageous over EAS, allowing for simultaneous decontamination of airborne and surface-adsorbed bio agents with EAS minimal volume and practically no wastes produced. Experimental data indicate that EAS aerosol has very low corrosiveness, possess no negative effect to sensitive equipment and does not destroy the surface of different tested materials. Limited toxicity tests were conducted with mice directly exposed to EAS aerosol; no acute and short-term toxicity was revealed.
Application Number
12/999,893
Market Sector
Biological Sciences and Omics