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Low-cost, local production of a safe and effective disinfectant for resource-constrained communities.
Naranjo-Soledad, Andrea; Smesrud, Logan; Bandaru, Siva R S; Hernandez, Dana; Mehare, Meire; Mahmoud, Sara; Matange, Vijay; Rao, Bakul; N, Chandana; Balcom, Paige; Omole, David Olugbenga; Álvarez-Mejía, César; López-Ramrez, Varinia; Gadgil, Ashok.
Afiliación
  • Naranjo-Soledad A; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Smesrud L; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Bandaru SRS; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Hernandez D; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Mehare M; The Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Mahmoud S; Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Matange V; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
  • Rao B; VINYAS Architects, Urban Designers, Landscape Architects, Delhi, India.
  • N C; Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
  • Balcom P; Centre for Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
  • Omole DO; Engineering R&D, Takataka Plastics, Gulu, Uganda.
  • Álvarez-Mejía C; Biosystems Engineering, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda.
  • López-Ramrez V; Department of Civil Engineering, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
  • Gadgil A; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
PLOS Glob Public Health ; 4(6): e0002213, 2024.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38917188
ABSTRACT
Improved hygiene depends on the accessibility and availability of effective disinfectant solutions. These disinfectant solutions are unavailable to many communities worldwide due to resource limitations, among other constraints. Safe and effective chlorine-based disinfectants can be produced via simple electrolysis of salt water, providing a low-cost and reliable option for on-site, local production of disinfectant solutions to improve sanitation and hygiene. This study reports on a system (herein called "Electro-Clean") that can produce concentrated solutions of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) using readily available, low-cost materials. With just table salt, water, graphite welding rods, and a DC power supply, the Electro-Clean system can safely produce HOCl solutions (~1.5 liters) of up to 0.1% free chlorine (i.e.,1000 ppm) in less than two hours at low potential (5 V DC) and modest current (~5 A). Rigorous testing of free chlorine production and durability of the Electro-Clean system components, described here, has been verified to work in multiple locations around the world, including microbiological tests conducted in India and Mexico to confirm the biocidal efficacy of the Electro-Clean solution as a surface disinfectant. Cost estimates are provided for making HOCl locally with this method in the USA, India, and Mexico. Findings indicate that Electro-Clean is an affordable alternative to off-the-shelf commercial chlorinator systems in terms of first costs (or capital costs), and cost-competitive relative to the unit cost of the disinfectant produced. By minimizing dependence on supply chains and allowing for local production, the Electro-Clean system has the potential to improve public health by addressing the need for disinfectant solutions in resource-constrained communities.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: PLOS Glob Public Health Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Estados Unidos
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
Buscar en Google

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Idioma: En Revista: PLOS Glob Public Health Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Estados Unidos