Chlorine Dioxide: The Safest of all Decontaminating Agents

All decontamination methods have a safety risk due to the nature of their use. Because of that, a variety of aspects should be considered to ensure that the process will be safe for your environment and employees. Gaseous chlorine dioxide (CD) can be used safer than other fumigation methods due to its chemical properties and safety profile.

SAFETY WARNINGS (SELF-ALERTING)
The best safety feature with CD gas is that it is self-alerting. Chlorine dioxide has an odor threshold at or below the 8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA), so the user is self-alerted to exposure at a low level and the reliance on external equipment is not as imperative. With Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide (VPHP), there is no odor to provide a warning of exposure. This alone makes CD gas safer since the user and nearby personnel are self-alerted before unsafe levels are achieved, and the reliance upon external equipment is less critical.

SHORTER CYCLE TIMES
Chlorine dioxide gas has a shorter cycle time than other high level decontamination methods, lowering the risk profile for the process itself.  Decontaminating a 10” x 20” room would take approximately 3.5 hours from start to end when it is safe to reenter the room.  Formaldehyde would be about 12.5 hours, and VPHP could be 10+ hours. VPHP has longer cycles because of the extended aeration times due to the nature of vapor condensation and absorption issues that do not apply with a true gas. Formaldehyde has long cycles because of long exposure times and the neutralization time. A longer cycle time represents a greater risk as the room contains an unsafe environment throughout the decontamination process.  CD gas is able to reduce the risk by completing its decontamination cycle in a much shorter time while still delivering a complete, 6-log decontamination of the room.
 
LOWER CONCENTRATION LEVELS
Chlorine dioxide is typically used at lower concentrations for room decontamination. VPHP concentrations are typically 750-1500 ppm. Formaldehyde concentration is typically 10,000 ppm. CD concentration is typically 360 ppm. Use concentrations for all agents are much higher than safe levels, however if something goes wrong, the higher concentration of formaldehyde and VPHP poses a greater risk.

EQUIPMENT LOCATED OUTSIDE THE TARGET CHAMBER
The chlorine dioxide gas generating equipment is located outside the room or chamber being decontaminated.  If equipment is inside the room and some issue occurs, the possibility exists where the user may have to enter the during unsafe conditions in order to shut the equipment down.  Since our CD generation equipment is located outside the chamber, if an issue occurs, the equipment can easily be shutdown by hitting the stop button located on the generator or simply pulling the plug.

CARCINOGENICITY
Chlorine dioxide gas is not classified as a carcinogen by any health organization.  Chlorine dioxide is used to treat drinking water in over 800 municipalities within the United States, and it is widely used in Europe as well.  Chlorine dioxide is also on the National Organic Program’s List of Approved and Prohibited Substances as an approved substance for use in organic foods. Formaldehyde is classified as a known carcinogen by most of the leading health organizations worldwide, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) designates VPHP as an A3, Confirmed Animal Carcinogen with Unknown Relevance to Humans.

COMPLETE DECONTAMINATION
One of the most important safety factors for decontamination methods are their ability to completely decontaminate the space they are introduced into.  Chlorine dioxide and formaldehyde are gasses which reach and penetrate all areas throughout the room/chamber including cracks, crevices and other hard to reach areas.  Vapors have difficulty reaching these areas due to poor diffusive properties and condensation issues. If the decontaminating agent cannot reach ALL of the dangerous organisms in the space, at the proper concentration, for the prescribed amount of time, then a complete decontamination will not occur and worker safety is compromised. CD gas is able to be accurately measured in real-time using a UV-vis spectrophotometer, allowing for the correct concentration and exposure levels to be met every time, making it very reliable.

For more safety facts and method comparisons, visit our website.

Case Study: Mold Remediation of a Research Facility

In the Spring of 2012, a hospital’s life science research facility experienced flooding when a pipe located two floors above burst. In addition to water damage throughout the space, mold spores, including Aspergillus niger, were introduced and distributed. Prior to repairs being made, a full facility decontamination took place to eliminate any mold or mold spores. Chlorine dioxide gas (CD) was chosen as the method of decontamination. Sixteen biological indicators (BI) consisting of Geobacillus stearothermophilus were placed throughout the 145,000 ft3 facility which contained animal holding rooms, procedure rooms, a laboratory, a cage wash area, storage rooms, necropsy rooms, locker rooms, and bathrooms.

During the decontamination, which took place over the course of 2 days, the surrounding areas of the facility were occupied. Chemical monitoring took place throughout the event to ensure that facility personnel were not exposed to any leakage. Upon completion of the decontamination, the 16 biological indicators exposed, as well as a positive control BI, were tested for growth. After the incubation period, only the positive control exhibited growth, demonstrating that the decontamination was a success and the facility was free of mold and mold spores. Success was also satisfied as there was no physical residue, and no visible indication of material degradation on any of the surfaces within the building, including the ventilated racks, plastic caging, and biological safety cabinets. There was also no visible indication of effect to any electronics or measurement devices in the area.

To read more about this specific decontamination, click here. If you are curious how ClorDiSys Solutions can help with your facility's contamination control, call us at (908) 236-4100.

 

Mold Remediation in the Cannabis Industry

During the marijuana growing process, mold can occur at any point. Mold is a major threat to cannabis, and an outbreak can be detrimental to an entire crop and, in turn, profits. Mold prevention and remediation are practices that are essential to a successful grower. Before plants enter the growing room, it is key that measures are taken to ensure no mold spores are present. This can be done to 100% effectiveness through chlorine dioxide gas decontamination. An entire facility can be sealed and decontaminated using gaseous CD to completely sterilize the space, eliminating any pre-existing organisms and their spores. A quick, chemical-free, highly effective room disinfection alternative can be implemented through ultraviolet light. Unlike a gas that can result in complete distribution of the decontaminating agent, UV-C will only kill where light is emitted onto. However, for an affordable and simple method, UV-C is the optimal solution.

The Torch™ is an easily transportable, powerful disinfection system that can be positioned in the room to achieve a 99% kill level on any surface, including plants, the light is emitted onto in mere minutes. Seeds and buds can be placed in an ultraviolet light chamber, such as the Flashbox™ or Flashbox-mini™, to achieve kill on potential spores without causing death to the seed. Seeds can also be placed inside of a Tyvek™ pouch and decontaminated inside a chlorine dioxide gas isolator.

Mold spores are also highly present in the air. To destroy this risk, ultraviolet light air circulation technology can be implemented to eliminate spores. Designed to replace a standard ceiling tile, the Torch Aire-Recessed™ installs easily to help reduce airborne pathogens. Air is drawn into the fixture through the louvered filter panels and disinfected within the center chamber. This design prevents UV-C exposure to those in the room by restricting light from passing into the occupied room, making it safe for people to be in the room at all times.

View all of our contamination control products to see what might fit your facility's needs best.