Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilization VS Traditional Sterilization

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilization Technology

The general sterilization methods currently on the market mainly include ozone micro alcohol sterilization, ultraviolet irradiation sterilization, formaldehyde sterilization, and currently emerging hydrogen peroxide sterilization. The above sterilization methods are used on various occasions, but the traditional Bacterial methods have fatal shortcomings in practical applications.

To overcome the problems caused by traditional sterilization methods: poor sterilization effect, high corrosiveness to equipment, and great harm to the human body, etc., hydrogen peroxide space sterilization series equipment came into being.

Hydrogen Peroxide, A Potent Disinfectant

First of all, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a naturally occurring chemical substance that exists widely in air and water. As early as the eighteenth century, humans discovered and started to use hydrogen peroxide, which is widely used in food, beverage, medical equipment, and health care. The use of hydrogen peroxide depends mainly on the degree of oxidation, and different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide have different uses.

The concentration of general medical hydrogen peroxide (commonly known as hydrogen peroxide) is 3%, which is mainly used to disinfect wounds or otitis media. In the case of wounds, pus, or dirt on the skin, mouth, and mucous membranes, it is immediately decomposed into oxygen. Oxygen does not combine with oxygen molecules and has a strong oxidizing ability. When it comes into contact with bacteria, it can destroy the bacteria and kill them. The substances remaining after killing the bacteria are water and oxygen without any toxicity or irritation. No secondary pollution and drug resistance will occur. Therefore, medical hydrogen peroxide is an ideal wound disinfectant.

The concentration of industrial hydrogen peroxide is generally 25-50%. High concentration hydrogen peroxide is highly corrosive and has an explosion hazard. If the concentration exceeds 8%, it needs to be packed and transported in a special container. When liquid hydrogen peroxide is used for disinfection, high-concentration and long-term contact are required to kill highly resistant microorganisms such as bacterial spores and fungi. For example, when the 7.5% hydrogen peroxide disinfectant produced by Reckitt Benckiser (approved by the FDA for advanced surface sterilization) is used to disinfect, the sterilization time at 20 ℃ is 6 hours.

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide

In order to give utilize maximum advantages of hydrogen peroxide disinfection and sterilization (no drug resistance and residue), and to overcome its shortcomings of high concentration corrosivity, low concentration, low efficiency, etc., researchers at home and abroad have studied it. In the 1980s, American researchers discovered for the first time that vaporized hydrogen peroxide has more than 200 times the sterilization ability of liquid hydrogen peroxide. In other words, hydrogen peroxide only needs a relatively low concentration in the gas phase to achieve the spore killing ability of high concentration liquid hydrogen peroxide. As a result, two different hydrogen peroxide gas disinfection and sterilization technologies have emerged:

• Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilization Technology

• Hydrogen Peroxide "dry mist" Sterilization Technology