A DISINFECTANT spray made from water – and which can eliminate coronavirus without leaving harmful chemical residues – has been developed in a collaboration between University of the West of Scotland (UWS), Finland-based EOD Europe and Scottish clean technology company, Novus Cleantech.
The product, called EORG (Electrolysis Oxygen Radical Generator), is made by converting oxygen from water into ‘ozone’, to create a disinfectant. The product is so safe, it can also be used to rinse fruit and vegetables, clean and sanitise food contact surfaces, and in drinking water. Not only does the EORG technology disinfect water, but it also turns the water itself into a disinfectant.
Dr William MacKay, Reader in UWS’s School of Health and Life Sciences, said: “We are delighted to support the development and testing of disinfectants and to contribute to the worldwide scientific effort to protect the public from Covid-19. The novel disinfectant developed by our colleagues at EOD Europe and Novus Cleantech, and tested by us, shows great promise as an effective and environmentally-friendly solution to disinfection.”
UWS researchers optimised and validated the effectiveness of the product in eliminating coronavirus. Following successful trials, it is now being rolled out to market as hand-held sprays, as well as in larger industrial-sized units, which can be used in supermarkets and in food processing.
The project was funded by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Funding Council.
Tero Luoma, Director of Novus Cleantech, who, in partnership with EOD Europe, developed the technology, said: “I am delighted to see our pioneering technology tested and proven in a Scottish University, as we consider bringing the assembly of these units to Scotland.
“Products available range from 50ml spray bottles that can be carried on a plane, to large-scale flow-through machines for food industry use. The implications go beyond cleaning and sanitising, not only is our technology more effective than cleaning with chemical products, such as bleach, but it is also safe as people can become unwell due to chemicals they use in everyday cleaning.
“The technology has also been proven to solve issues in food processing, such as increasing the shelf life of salmon fillets by rinsing them with our product before packaging – the EORG technology has successfully been tested against E. coli and Salmonella.
“It has been fantastic to work with UWS on the product, which will make a real impact on people’s everyday lives, particularly following Covid-19. The same technology will provide people with safe drinking water as well as a powerful disinfectant and we are proud of the collaboration with a Scottish university to bring this to market.”
The project is another example of the ground-breaking research which has been underway at UWS since the beginning of the pandemic, not only to test and validate products effective in combatting the virus, but also to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on local communities.
UWS and Novus Cleantech are hoping to build on this study to test and develop other, chemical-free solutions that actively destroy pathogens, allergens, spores and even odours from surfaces, as well as in the air.
