All of us know that we need to wash our hands regularly to keep germs at bay. But do we ever stop to think about cleaning our mobile phones? Personal touchscreen devices are everywhere, potentially harbouring pathogens by catering as a fomite. Yes, the average phone is covered in germs 25,127 germs per square inch, to be precise.

As a comparison, here’s another list of daily items to consider.

Toilet seat: 1,201 germs per square inch

Kitchen counter: 1,736 bacteria per square inch

Pet food dish: 2,110 germs per square inch

Checkout screen: 4,500 germs per square inch

Doorknob: 8,643 germs per square inch

Now imagine the 25,127 germs per square inch on your mobile phone.

Worrisome, right?

“If you put virus on a surface, like an iPhone, about 30 percent of it will get on your fingertips,” In turn, “a fair amount of it may go from your fingers to your eyes, mouth or nose,” the most likely routes of infection. Of course, no one can be sure how many people have gotten sick from sharing touch-screen electronics. But the devices add to the growing list of so-called fomites — frequently handled objects — that have the potential of spreading disease.” Seattle Times

A study by some scientists in at the University of Arizona confirmed that your cellphone screen is 18 times more unhygienic than your toilet seat, and going by the figures the claims are just.

Among the measures taken, one basic rule that health professionals have stressed the most has been to maintain hygiene and avoid touching your face as much as possible.

While we have been focusing on sanitizing and washing our hands innumerable times a day, most of us have forgotten our mobile phones, which in many ways is housing hundreds of viruses — including the coronavirus, which is claimed to live on the glass for up to nine days.

Our phones live in our palms and pockets and also comes quite frequently in contact with our faces for not only making and receiving calls but also responding to messages and emails.

Mobile screen cleaner and disinfectant chemicals are often sought out most and we have gotten a class leading product to disinfect mobile phones along with other high contact surfaces such as laptops, elevator buttons, handrails / handles and call buttons, escalator handrails, public counters, intercom systems, telephone, printers/scanners, machines

Disinfect mobile phone with ALSTACOL 25+ in three simple steps:

 Step 1: Simply spray ALSTACOL 25+ on a cotton cloth or swab or microfiber

Step 2: Wipe clean the entire cellphone surface, glass in particular, caring for the panels and curves.

Step 3: Air dry for 15 seconds.

Congratulations! Your phone is free of pathogens.

Mobile phones should be sanitized for at least two times a day.

ALSTACOL 25+ is a 70% Alcohol based Surface Disinfectant for spray wiping the high contact surfaces such as elevator buttons, handrails / handles and call buttons, escalator handrails, public counters, intercom systems, telephone, printers/scanners, and other office machines. Frequently touched areas like table tops, chair handles, pens, diary files, keyboards, mouse, mouse pad, tea/coffee dispensing machines etc. Metallic surfaces like door handles, security locks, keys, etc.

ALSTACOL 25+ is available in the COVID-19 BIO-SECURITY PACKAGE.

Get Yours Today!

The kit contains the formulations which are approved/ recommended by WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center of Disease Control), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) USA to prevent the spread of virus.

Think Bio-Security. Think Chemtex.

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What is Sodium Hypochlorite?

Remember that pungent smell when mass disinfection of public places occur. That same irritating smell you can relate to in swimming pools, and your eyes itch and redden, and your skin itches, and there is a big board saying “Chlorine in pool”, that’s hypochlorous acid, viz., when sodium hypochlorite breaks down.

Sodium hypochlorite/ Hypo (NaOCl) is an inorganic chlorine based liquid disinfectant, available as aqueous solutions of 5.25% – 6.15% (household bleach) or concentrated 12% NaOCl solutions.

Large quantities are also used as a disinfectant in water and wastewater treatment and sanitary equipment. In food processing, sodium hypochlorite is used to sanitize food preparation equipment, in fruit and vegetable processing, mushroom production, hog, beef and poultry production, and fish processing.

Typical Uses of Hypo:

• 2%: Shock Chlorination of Wells
• 3 – 6%: Household Disinfectant, Laundering Clothes, Dentistry Root Canal Treatment, Dairy Industry, Disinfectant in Hospitals, Food Processing, Mushroom Production, Hog, Beef, and Poultry Productions, Maple Syrup Production, Fish Processing, etc.
• 12 – 16%: Disinfectant in Swimming Pools, Water Treatment, Waste Water Treatment, Pavement Spraying, Mass Disinfection.

So, where does Sodium Hypochlorite go wrong?

There are five types of Chlorine available in the market; Sodium hypochlorite, Lithium hypochlorite, Calcium hypochlorite, Dichlor, and Trichlor. The first three are unstable, unlike the stable last two.

Sodium hypochlorite with water breaks into hypochlorite ions that increase the overall pH of the system, we know pathogens that can survive alkaline atmosphere. Also, the high pH of hypochlorite will attack metals and generates hydrogen gas when in contact with aluminum, it even eats through connecting glue (fumed silica), threaded fittings, etc. Decomposition occurs faster at higher temperatures and concentrations and with metal contamination. General fiberglass tanks are used, at cooled temperatures to prevent hazards of hypo. If hypochlorite is exposed to acid or ammonia, chlorine gas will be released.

If the water hardness is exceedingly high, the high pH hypochlorite precipitates the calcium and magnesium, leading to scaling problem.

Mixing anything with hypochlorite can be extremely dangerous. Contact between hypochlorite and other chemicals such as alum, ferric, or sodium bisulphate, can cause an uncontrolled explosive release of energy, heat, and chlorine gas.

Hypo efficacy becomes limited when it comes in contact with more than 80% organic matter, neutralizing its oxidation effects. Hypo breaks down under sunlight, taking away the residual activity and the contact period.

Human Contact Hazards:

• Sodium Hypochlorite and ammonia mix, forms a dangerous gas potentially leading to choking and breathing difficulty.
• Avoid swallowing and getting sodium hypochlorite in the eyes or on the skin. Produces eye irritation, skin irritation and whitening, inhalation of fumes produce throat, esophageal, and gastric burns.
• Mutagenic and toxic when it comes in contact with ammonium salts, listed under Class 8 Corrosive Substances. Chronic (long-term) exposure to chlorine gas in workers has resulted in respiratory effects, including eye and throat irritation and airflow obstruction.
• Residual chlorine molecules react with this harmless organic material to form a group of chlorinated chemical compounds, THMs (Trihalomethanes): Dibromochloromethane (CHClBr₂), Bromoform (CHBr₃), Chloroform (CHCl₃), and Dichlorobromomethane (CHCl₂Br). They are tasteless and odourless, but harmful and potentially toxic.

Alstasan II 256: Our Safe Alternative

Alstasan II 256 is specifically formulated Twin Chain Dialkyl QAC based disinfectant which on application completely eradicates pathogens, inclusive of sporicidal bacteria and enveloped viruses such the coronavirus.

Twin chain QAC ‘s are surface active agents which interlinks with the cell membrane of pathogens, altering its structure and its water-repelling attribute, because of which it is considered super effectual against lipid-enveloped viruses. The R group present in Quaternary Ammonium Compound’s structure with long double alkyl chains enables prompt neutralization of organic matter’s synthesis in the microbial cell, denaturing their essential cellular enzymes and proteins, and distorting it completely.

Application Areas: Spraying in Infected/ critical areas, high traffic public areas such as metro stations, movie theatres, malls, showrooms, offices, F&B preparation areas, pavements, floors, railway platforms, dip tray for shoes, air fumigating of closed indoor spaces.

Key Features:

• Highly effective virudical chemical with de-odourizer
• Non-tainting nature, safe for use on most MoC (Materials of Construction)
• Easy to dose and apply; dilute at recommended concentration and mopped
• Leaves a refreshing fragrance post usage
• Multiple applications of spraying, mopping, fumigation

Dominance of Alstasan II 256 over Sodium Hypochlorite:

• Twin chain QAC blends are highly effective especially over vegetative bacteria and enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2, inhibiting their spread and replication within seconds of application at lower use concentration (USEPA approved formulation)
• QAC’s are considered as good wetting agents and spreads over a wide area with acute piercing ability, at an application dosage 1/10^th of Hypo.
• Non-corrosive, non-tainting, compatible with materials
• Ensures prolonged sterilization and does not breakdown owing to sunlight and/or organic matter.
• Leaves fresh minty fragrance, not irritating pungent smell.
• Non-mutagenic blend.

Click here for a Tabular comparison of Sodium Hypochlorite and Alstasan II 256.

Alstasan II 256 is a part of Chemtex’s COVID-19 Bio-Security Package, along with Alcohol based Surface Disinfectant (Alstacol 25+) and Alcohol based Hand Sanitizer (Alstasan Hand Rub), ready in stock, to be ordered and delivered at your doorstep.

The kit contains the formulations which are approved/ recommended by WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center of Disease Control), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) USA to prevent the spread of virus.

The post Replacing Sodium Hypochlorite appeared first on Chemtex Speciality Limited.

The kit contains the formulations which are approved/ recommended by WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center of Disease Control), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) USA to prevent the spread of virus.

The post The Preventable Pandemic: COVID-19 appeared first on Chemtex Speciality Limited.