WHAT IS DISINFECTANT FOGGING?
Disinfecting fogging is spraying minute droplets around the room in the form of fog. The disinfecting fog, mist, or you can say the vapor has to be in a particular concentration to work effectively. Though it is not a popular way of disinfecting the area but few industries have this as must way of disinfecting, and fogging approved machines can only be used as the chemical released is absorbed by the human body faster and in large quantities
WHERE IS FOGGING USED?
While manufacturing food manufacturing companies come in contact with many contaminations around, even the impure air can contaminate the food, disinfecting the food with a fogging method in some industries is a must and in their regulations. Fogging also helps in reducing food wastage and even helps increase the profits of the industry. Fogging is used in pharmaceutical production companies to make sure the disinfectant reaches all the corners of the rooms which are hard to reach, this is also used in ambulances but is not recommended as the tiny particulars can be easily absorbed by human skin and can cause irritation or may affect the asthma patients. Some industries which use disinfectant fogger machine are
- Food processing
- Animal husbandry
- Medical and pharmaceutical
- Hospitality
- Manufacturing
- And many such
Some small businesses which use fogging are
- Public restrooms
- Locker rooms
- Gyms and pools
- Veterinary and medical clinics
- Commercial kitchens
- Company vehicles
- And much more
WHICH PRODUCTS ARE SUITABLE FOR FOGGING?
There are very few disinfectants that can be used for fogging, as the tiny droplets released can be harmful to the one spraying it, and for the one who will be present in the room after fogging alcohol-based can risk catching fire and chlorine can be highly irritable for the workers. With the right active ingredients of Hydrogen peroxide and silver, the soluble makes the water even safer to drink, so using this solution for fogging even in the food industry can be a safe option. The chemical formula of hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 which if breakdown makes water oxygen. Disinfecting a place is very important for industries due to high customer service, disinfecting a large space in two or three steps can be expensive, so companies use fogging as an alternative for cheaper but effective methods.
HOW DO DISINFECTANTS WORK?
Fogging is disinfecting every single air particle of the room by spraying solution in the room, there are many various machines for fogging, you should choose the right one according to your need and industry. The treatment you need will be depending upon the facility, pathogen exposures, and the surfaces which need to be disinfected. The most commonly used methods are
- Chemical fogging
- Vaporizing hydrogen peroxide
- Ozone
- Chlorine dioxide
- Ionization
- Chemical Fogging
This can be a permanent setup in the factory or the warehouse. They work spraying solution in the room until the air is supersaturated. This method applies a thin layer of disinfectant on all the surfaces along with purifying the air. The time duration of this method depends on the space to be covered. It usually takes 60 mins plus 60 more mins to make the room usable again, as the fine particles can be absorbed by human skin or come in contact.
- Vaporizing Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP)
The most commonly used method in medical or pharmaceutical environments or laboratories. This method has an additional method of dehumidifying and it takes longer than any other method. VHP doesn’t clear all the bacteria or pathogens in the air, this method also needs pre-cleaning before disinfecting to be effective. It takes up to 2-4 hours and additional time for disinfecting.
- Ozone fogging
In order to work ozone fogging, the room must be humidified as ozone is a highly reactive method and is used by passing the air from UV rays. Ozone fogging mostly takes 60-90 minutes to complete from the moment it started. Ozone fogging is to be done very cautiously as humans are highly sensitive to ozone, and even ozone fogging can’t be done in the places where corrosion can occur. After such fogging the air should be breathable again before any human enters as if inhaled it can be really harmful to the respiratory system of them.
- Chlorine Dioxide (CIO2) Treatment
This is one of the least harmful fogging treatments as when these breakdowns it forms salts. But being one of the unstable compounds it needs a strict temperature and humidification to be effective which makes it unsuitable for every purpose. It is made from chlorine gas and sodium chlorite, which is a risky element for humans, so should be only performed by professionals.
- Ionization
This is done by passing air through tubes of ionization, the air passed is charged and cis created into ions which when released neutralized naturally airborne organisms, this is done by releasing negative and positive ions in the atmosphere, some units supply continuos ions to maintain a cleaner environment.
Fogging can be done by spraying fine mist or dry vapors, whereas dry fogging is also called thermal fogging, which releases fine particles and disinfectants on a wide area’s surface. Dry fogging also reduces the possibility of corrosion and condensation which is occurred in liquid fogging.
Which method to be used, wet fogging or dry fogging is depended upon what workplace we are disinfecting and what kind of solution is being used to power the industry. Changing a liquid solution into vapor be it dry or wet changed the properties and effects.
CONCLUSION
In the end, we come to a conclusion that this method of disinfecting, and fogging can be effective and can help disinfect in a lesser amount of time with a large area being covered but it doesn’t prove to be a truly cleaning solution. fogging as a disinfecting method has a history in many industries and small businesses with its effective ways. Fogging should always be performed by trained professionals due to harmful gases being used. And currently due to COVID-19 protocols Fogging alone is doesn’t meet the prevention guidelines of cleanliness.