How The Air Disinfection Takes
Place By Ozone
Ozone is very highly reactive and the strongest
commercially available disinfecting agent. Ozone is the most efficient
broad-spectrum microbiological control substance and the fastest oxidizing
agent.
Ozone is a very strong disinfectant and bactericide and this property make
it very useful for control of microbiological contamination in different
applications. Ozone is used extensively today for improving the food quality
with reference to preserving freshness & longer shelf life. There are
different methods of using the Ozone for disinfecting the environment,
sterilizing the water, air and the food items.
When a controlled concentration of Ozone is maintained in air it
destroys all kind of Bacteria, Viruses, mould, cysts or any kind of
infection in a very short duration. This avoids or retards any kind of
decay caused by Bacteria and thus provides a long shelf life of the products
or storage duration. Ozone is very unstable while reacting and decomposes
back to Oxygen, this property of Ozone provides, major contribution towards
a cleaner environment.
Environmental Air of a Food Processing Industry
is kept free from any Pathogenic & Spoilage Micro-organisms etc. This is
essential to preserve freshness and increased shelf life of the product.
- The Problem Food processing industries, Dairies,
Pharmaceutical Industries or similar plant areas should be free from any
kind if infection. This is achieved presently by fumigation and by the
application of different chemicals. The Disinfection so achieved is
non-uniform, inconsistent and a batch process. The process is
undesirable as it leaves chemical residue on food items, on production
areas and equipment. The problem is becoming more acute in today's
context especially by the exporters.
- The Solution What is needed is a way to constantly, quickly
and economically eliminates Bacteria, virus, mold and mildew, Odor and
other unpleasant smell without use of any harmful chemicals &
fumigant. Fortunately Ozone is coming to our rescue to provide an
environment friendly Disinfection solution.
Today, many leading names in the industry are turning to Ozone treatment
to purify air in storages process and other sensitive areas of a Food
processing, Dairies and Pharmaceutical Industries. Unlike usual
chemicals, "Ozone the nature's most powerful purifying agent"
actually eliminates any kind of contaminations through natural
oxidation.
- Ozone Concentration to be Maintained in the Treatment Area An
Ozone concentration of 0.01 to 0.08 PPM is adequate for achieving total
sterilization of the affected area. The actual concentration required to
be maintained depends upon the product, the criticality of the area, and
extent of bacterial load and the method of application.
- Limit of Ozone Concentration Ozone Concentration should not
exceed more than 0.1 PPM where operating persons are present, for eight
hours or more per workday, and no worker should be exposed to a limiting
concentration of Ozone in excess of 0.6 mg/m³ (0.3 PPM by volume)
for more than ten minutes. This limit is set as per OSHA standards.
- Monitoring and Control of Ozone Concentration For the safety
of the operating persons it is desirable that the concentration of Ozone
be continuously monitored, controlled and should not exceed 0.1 PPM by
volume.
The monitoring system is equipped with high and low level set points.
Higher set point can be used for an alarm and giving warning incase of
higher concentration.
In most of the cases the stalling of any Food
product is due to the growth of Bacteria and viruses, if we reduce the same
with the help of some means we can increase its shelf life. But it is also
equally important that the additive should be such which does not leave any
residue in the final product and thus we are only left with one chemical
that is OZONE. Ozone is a Triatomic state of oxygen and after disinfection
and sterilization it converts back to Oxygen without leaving any residue. In
your case we can use Ozone in following ways:
- Environmental Air Sterilization System The air inside the
packing and processing hall can be made disinfected with the help of
diffusing Ozone into the Packing or processing hall we can make area
completely sterilized without use of any fumigants or chemicals.
- Direct Treatment of Product Ozone can be bubbled or can be
recirculated along with the product into the tank for reducing bacterial
count. However, direct contact of product is a critical application and
is to be carried out at most care. In case the Ozone contact is higher
than the recommended limits, certain chemical changes contents may take
place, which are undesirable. However, we can suggest you an appropriate
system only after series of tests at your works.
- The water used for Processing can be made total disinfected. The
water is used in number for applications in a food processing company,
which includes washing of fruits and vegetables, meat products,
fisheries, prawn and other products, cleaning the places adding to
products and mixing into the process. The application of water can make
the product highly infected in case the water is not disinfected or
sterilized as per the standards. We have water treatment sterilization
and equipment for production of ultra pure water for food processing
applications.
- With the help of Ozonated Showers the containers and machines can be
cleaned.