“ECA Technology represents the most environmentally sensitive biocide technology available which is totally effective in eliminating all forms of micro-organisms in water supplies, on work surfaces etc. … being totally effective against all bacteria, viruses, cysts, protozoa, algae and spores with no mutation or resistance…”
Professor Darren Reynolds,
Department of Biological,
Biomedical and Analytical Sciences
What is ECA Technology?
ECA, or Electrical Chemical Activation technology, generates two end products on-site for the user: a state of the art non-toxic sanitizer/disinfectant and a mild detergent using only purified salt (NaCI), tap water (H2O) and electricity (110v). The sanitizer is a form of Free Available Chlorine, Hypochlorous Acid (HOCI) and the mild detergent is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), both of which are non-toxic and 99.5% water. Using ECA, an operation can now generate their own sanitizers and detergent on-site, both of which can replace many, every-day use, standard, polluting and hazardous cleaning & maintenance products and reduce their chemical expenses.
What is HOCL?
The primary component of HOCL is hypochlorous acid, the most effective element of chlorine. HOCL (Hypochlorous Acid) is pH neutral, super-oxidized water generated by electrolysis of a dilute NaCl solution passing through an electrolytic cell. This process creates large volumes of a gentle but extremely potent antimicrobial solution. HOCL is stable, cost-effective to produce, greener than traditional chemical technologies. It offers the added benefits of being able to remove biofilm and scale from manufacturing equipment, thus, greatly minimizing a major contributor to contamination problems.
Because HOCL (Hypochlorous Acid) effectively destroys microorganisms, they cannot build up resistance to HOCL as they can to other sanitizers and disinfectants. Standard toxic chemicals can create strains of pathogens that become resistant over time, because the cell can expel or neutralize the chemical before it can kill it, thereby causing the overall efficacy of chemical cleaners and disinfectants to be significantly reduced.
The Science behind Restructured Water Solutions HOCL
Introduction
Restructured Water is 6 pH neutral, super-oxidized water that is non-toxic and has an extended shelf life.
“Super-oxidized water” is water that has had an electric current passed through it, thereby generating a number of oxidized species. This is an electrochemical (or oxidation-reduction) process.
Specifically, it is an electrolysis process. This oxidation-reduction process is also known as Electro-Chemical Activation (ECA Technology).
In the early development of “Super-Oxidized Water”, electrolytic cells were only capable of generating small volumes of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) with a limited shelf life.
In recent years, 6 pH neutral electrolyzed water has been introduced as a high-level disinfectant, not corrosive and able to penetrate cell membranes more easily in comparison with acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) or Sodium Hypochlorite.
“Super-Oxidized Waters” are generated by electrolysis of a dilute NaCI solution passing through an electrolytic cell. ‘AEW’ has a strong bactericidal effect on most known pathogenic bacteria due to its low pH (2-4) and high oxidation-reduction potential (ORP > 1000 m V), and because it contains active oxidizers like Hypochlorous Acid, it is effective in killing food-borne pathogens in Vitro conditions and in reducing microbial counts and pathogens in vegetables
‘RRW’ is generated like ‘AEW’, but a part of the product formed at the cathode is redirected into the anode chamber, thus increasing the content of OCL- ions.
Because of its neutral pH,6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water does not contribute as aggressively as ‘AEW’ to the corrosion of processing equipment or irritation of hands, and is more stable as chlorine loss is significantly reduced at pH 6-9.
Independent research has evaluated the effect of6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water on total microbial count obtaining reductions is superior to ‘AEW’ or Sodium Hypochlorite.
* Data obtained from independent testing executed outside the USA by third parties.
The Technology (Electrolyses of molten salts)
The traditional electrolysis process results in unstable oxidized water and formation of Hypochlorous Acid (HOCL).
ECA Technology utilizes Electrolytic Cells where the anode chamber is separated by a unidirectional permeable membrane from the cathode chamber. The Electrolytic Cell allows migration of ions through the membrane and separation of such ions and prevention of production of gaseous chlorine (CL2).
An ECA electrolysis process is one in which positive and negative electrodes are submerged in a solute containing positive and negative ions.
Positive ions (cations) are drawn towards the negative electrode, where they receive electrons from the electron-rich cathode and neutral atoms or molecules are formed.
At the anode (positive electrode) negative ions (anions) are attracted, which give up their additional electrons to the electron-depleted anode.
The extra electrons from the cathode effectively flow through the solvent to the anode and an electric current flow.
There are very many reactions that may occur when water (H2O) is electrolyzed, for example (E0 is the standard redox potential)*:
O2 + H + e- HO2 E0 = – 0.13 V [1]
2H+ + 2e- H2 E0 = 0.00 V [2]
HO2 + H+ + e- H2O2 E0 = +1.50 V [3]
O3 + 2H+ + 2e- O2 + H2O E0 = +2.07 V [4]
OH- + H+ + e- H2O E0 = +2.85 V [5]
H2O + e- H+ OH- E0 = – 2.93 V [6]
OH+ e- OH- E0 = +2.02 V [7]
The equationsare not a complete list, but give examples of some of the reactions that may take place. Notably, they show that electrolysis of water may produces H+ and OH ions, H and OH radicals, H2, O2, HO2, O3 and the like due to redox reactions. As a direct result of electrolysis, hydrogen and ozone gas are released and a percentage of hydroxides remain in the solution in various forms including but not limited to hydrogen peroxide.
The addition of sodium chloride (table salt) can lead to the following additional reactions*:
On the cathode side
Na+ + e- Na [8]
2Na + 2H2O 2Na+ + 2OH- + H2 [9]
and at the anode side
2Cl- – 2e- Cl2 [10]
It should further be noted that the Cl2 and OH- can react as follows*:
Cl2 + 2OH- ClO- + Cl- + H2O [11]
Cl2 + OH- HClO + Cl- [12]
Finally, while electrolyses would typically result in an unstable product (‘AEW’), the patented ECA technology presented here is a process that generates onsite6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water that consist solely of active substances HOCL and OCL-.**6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water is highly biocidal, but has a very low chemical load (measured in free available chlorine) compared to Sodium Hypochlorite. Thus, not harmful for environment and human beings.
*the active substances in6Ph – Neutral Electrolyzed Water are solely HOCL and OCL-.
** The quantity of HOCL and OCL- depends on the pH of6Ph – Neutral Electrolyzed Water .
Chemistry
Restructured water is manufactured through validated processes and devices in accordance with EPA and ISO standards. It be produced in large volume (making onsite production of Electrolyzed water for commercial purposes attractive. Restructured water also has an extended shelf life as a result of using a rectified AC-voltage on our ECA Electric Cell machines.
The general product specification is:
• • pH 6.8 –7.8*
• • Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) > 800mV
• • Free Available Chlorine (FAC) 50-500 ppm**
• • EC 5-15ppm***
*the pH of Richway’s Restructured Water is 6 pH can be adjusted by the operator from acidic to alkaline.
** the amount of free available chlorine can be adjusted by the operator.
*** varies with the amount of free available chlorine
Free Available Chlorine (FAC) is essentially all chlorine species that are not combined with ammonia (or other nitrogenous compounds) to form chloramines.
The known chemical species present in are:
• • Hypochlorous Acid
• • Sodium Hypochlorite
• • Sodium Chloride
Therefore, the HOCL concentration claimed in Neutral Electrolyzed Water is 6 pH is believed to comprise of a combination of variation of chlorine ions and not necessarily HOCL.
Where the concentrations of each chemical are determined by the current density, pH and other important process parameters.
Stability
Many “Super-Oxidized Waters” are only stable for a few hours and are produced with Electrolytic cells that are very limited in production capacity as well as limited in lifetime.
Free available chlorine in ‘AEW’ proved to be unstable and easily evaporates from the water, causing immediately a strong chlorine smell and complicating storage, transport and usage of ‘AEW’. Neutral Electrolyzed Water is 6 pH is stable for at least a year, although it is still recommended to use freshly generated Electrolyzed water.
Several parameters can be measured in order to establish the shelf life of Neutral Electrolyzed Water . These include pH, ORP and FAC.
Another commonly used method revolved around ability to kill spores of Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium known to be amongst the most resilient to chlorine.
Today, this still proves to be a useful measurement to determine the shelf life of6Ph – Neutral Electrolyzed Water , since it is ultimately this anti-microbial nature that is key to6Ph – Neutral Electrolyzed Water s action as a high-level disinfectant and is believed to be a major part of its success as a disinfectant.
Microbial efficacy
Various microbial efficacy testing have been conducted by third parties on the microbial efficacy of6Ph – Neutral Electrolyzed Water . Normally microbial efficacy is measured by suspension test
• • Staphylococcus aureus
• • Staphylococcus epidermidis
• • Enterococcus hirae
• • Escherichia coli
• • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• • Bacillus subtilis
Based on various bactericidal, fungicidal and sporicidal testing performed to date, it can be stated that all the microbial testing requirements for 6pH Electrolyzed water
have been met or exceeded. 6pH has Electrolyzed water has proved to be a high-level disinfectant.
Mechanism of Action
The mechanism of action for how 6pH Restructured water eradicates these various micro-organisms is well documented both by third party resources. The mode of action is as follows:
• The free ions in 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water rapidly react and denature proteins. 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water should not be used on protein based products, since it will react and destroy the proteins.
• Once 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water comes in contact with a microorganism, it attacks the bacterial proteins located in the cell membranes.6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water’s superiority is in that 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water will eradicate similarly the antibiotic resistant strains including MRSA and VRE.
• Secondly, because of the osmolarity difference (the conc. Of ion in the solution versus in the cytoplasm), 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water will induce a rupture on the cell membrane leading to cell lysis.
Since 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water consists of both HOCL and OCL-; it is believed that the bactericidal action exhibited is due to the combination of these substances.
However, as previously noted, Sodium Hypochlorite or Gaseous Chlorine at the same concentration of that found in 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water leads to slower microbial kill and more corrosion when tested per ASTM guidelines.
Toxicity
No evidence of toxicity in any form has been observed in any of the third party testing*.
Moreover, the review of relevant literature has revealed that HOCL and OCL-, at the low doses in 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water supports this and the weight of evidence is that these chemicals do not produce toxic effects.
Based on all this information, it can reasonably be concluded that 6Ph – Richway’s Restructured Water is non-toxic and safe to use in the industries and applications considered by Richway.