Ongoing developments in Airborne Use
Airborne application methods for chlorine dioxide provide immensely powerful tools, and can be further refined for more widespread use in safe and effective ways.
Studies strongly suggest that COVID-19 can happen through airborne transmission not only by large droplets, but also aerosols that travel farther and stay in the air longer.
For many years, airborne disinfection using chlorine dioxide has been applied in places such as by workers wearing protective equipment or in unoccupied areas.
Some uses of chlorine dioxide can require advanced knowledge, handling and equipment to avoid serious risks. Airborne chlorine dioxide applications have also been used extensively by hospitals, airlines, schools, businesses, and governments.
Most commercial airborne use has customarily required professional evaluations of room space and air flow, and complex equipment. However, in more recent years many products have been developed, both for businesses and individuals, that are simpler and safer to use.
Additional exploration of ideas, and testing can also develop even more new capabilities and products, particularly specialized for use in combating this pandemic emergency. One of many possibilities to explore could be providing expert assessments, consultations and interactive instructions remotely, through video chat, phone and internet interfaces, to provide advice on airborne use based on size and use of rooms in buildings.
Chlorine dioxide disinfection can be applied in occupied areas through low-level distribution in the air, as examined by some studies . If application conditions are managed appropriately, chlorine dioxide could be used in ongoing, pulsed, or periodic air distribution to provide consistent, convenient, in-depth disinfection for many occupied areas during this pandemic, including health care areas, businesses, public areas, and homes.
Chlorine dioxide liquid solutions can be dispersed at low levels through equipment such as a fine mist or ultrasonic humidifier or an HVAC system. They can also be sprayed in specific areas from a very fine mist spray bottle, or a hand-held fogger.
When applied through airborne means, chlorine dioxide attacks pathogens not only in the air but also on surfaces where it lands in sufficient amounts. Chlorine dioxide distributes in the air more evenly than many other disinfectants, resulting in more comprehensive coverage of surfaces. Because of its small molecule size, it also permeates surfaces comparatively well, and it does not ordinarily cause bleaching in low-level concentrations.
In addition to viruses, chlorine dioxide destroys bacteria, fungus and mold. For people already sick with coronavirus, reducing the quantity of coronaviruses and a broad spectrum of other pathogens in the environment can give people’s bodies a better chance to fight off sickness. Chlorine dioxide can help clean the air for people who have allergies, who are more vulnerable to coronaviruses. However, it might be best for people who have breathing troubles to not be present in a room when Chlorine Dioxide is sprayed, and to return after letting it dissipate. Already, chlorine dioxide is regularly used in airborne applications to help control spread of flu virus.
Various amounts of chlorine dioxide gas are also able to be released through delivery methods such as slow-permeation gels. Caution is warranted, however. Even slow-release (multi-day) deodorizer products can sometimes create overly high gas concentrations in the air, particularly if used where air flow is insufficient or the area is small. For some types of airborne application products (including a study of four "safety badge" lanyard tags), studies have shown little to no effectiveness.
Intense fumes are not safe to inhale. Intense gas is temporarily released when liquid mixes of Chlorine Dioxide are first being "activated." However, the quantity is small when using consumer products, and is soon mixed into water. However, care should be taken to not inhale intensely concentrated gas fumes.
* * * * *
IMPORTANT: The methods and quantities usually done by professionals for commercial disinfection are NOT safe for OCCUPIED areas. Those methods require everyone to evacuate an area first, except those who are applying the disinfectant (who must wear PPE).
Through using airborne application methods of chlorine dioxide, individuals can be greatly helped to be able to better quarantine and isolate in their homes when they or sick (or know they have been exposed to risk). This will reduce crowding at hospitals.
Also, many people are not careful about possible sickness in their home before someone shows symptoms, though contagion starts well before then. Ongoing airborne disinfection would offer an easy way for people to have general disinfection going on in homes before they even realize a resident is sick.
Disinfection also extends to surfaces on which the chlorine dioxide lands, providing more comprehensive disinfection of areas than just hand-wiping a few spots.
Low-level airborne disinfection can also reduce contagion in other occupied places such as medical, business and public locations. This can help businesses to more safely stay open for employees and customers.
Airborne disinfection by adequate but safe levels of chlorine dioxide through effective diffusion methods can not only reduce coronavirus in air, but also reduce bacteria, mold, and fungus, which helps reduce other infections as well as asthma-related problems. This can help people in homes and hospitals.
Various types of equipment and methods exist that are either designed for airborne applications or have correlated airborne impacts.
Some products we are aware of include spray bottles of liquid, small fogger cans for whole room or spot treatment, high-power sprayers, HVAC systems, slow-air-release encapsulated chlorine dioxide packages, bottles of slow-release gel, packets and sheets with embedded chlorine dioxide that are boxed with fresh produce, evaporation from liquid in containers or on surfaces, “shock” gas releasing products, small gas-release cannisters for odor and mold elimination, commercial foggers, and sprayer and fogging vehicles driven on streets.
Related products include chlorine dioxide gas level test strips and detectors, UV-blocking spray bottles and other containers, aquarium-type aerators to speed up liquid evaporation, and various types of humidifiers, including ones specifically designed for diffusion of chlorine dioxide.