APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ENVIRONMENTAL AIR USING ANTISEPTICS AND DISINFECTANTS

Abstract

An apparatus for countercurrent exchange, including: a conduit, including: a side wall; an inner space; an air outlet disposed on a first end of the conduit; a liquid miniaturization device disposed in the inner space of the conduit near the air outlet, wherein the liquid miniaturization device is used to spray a liquid in a liquid direction; an air intake disposed on the side wall near a second end of the conduit; and a reservoir portion disposed in the inner space near the second end of the conduit for storing the liquid; a pneumatic conveyor connected with the air intake for introducing air into the conduit along an air flow direction; and a pumping device connected with the reservoir portion by a first tube, wherein the liquid direction is opposite to the air flow direction in the conduit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for countercurrent exchange, comprising: a conduit, comprising: a side wall; an inner space; an air outlet disposed on a first end of the conduit; a liquid miniaturization device disposed in the inner space of the conduit near the air outlet, wherein the liquid miniaturization device is used to spray a liquid in a liquid direction; an air intake disposed on the side wall near a second end of the conduit; and a reservoir portion disposed in the inner space near the second end of the conduit for storing the liquid; a pneumatic conveyor connected with the air intake for introducing air into the conduit along an air flow direction; and a pumping device connected with the reservoir portion by a first tube, wherein the liquid direction is opposite to the air flow direction in the conduit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pumping device is connected with the liquid miniaturization device by a second tube.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air intake is at a first angle ranging from 0° to 75° with respect to a longitudinal axis of the conduit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid is a sterilization liquid or a disinfection liquid.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the disinfection liquid contains hypochlorous acid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pumping device is used to pump the liquid from the reservoir portion to the liquid miniaturization device.

7. A process for sanitizing indoor air, comprising the following steps: (i) providing an apparatus for countercurrent exchange indoors, wherein the apparatus comprises: a conduit, comprising: a side wall; an inner space; an air outlet disposed on a first end of the conduit; a liquid miniaturization device disposed in the inner space of the conduit near the air outlet, wherein the liquid miniaturization device is used to spray a liquid in a liquid direction; an air intake disposed on the side wall near a second end of the conduit ; and a reservoir portion disposed in the inner space near the second end of the conduit for storing the liquid; a pneumatic conveyor connected with the air intake for introducing air into the conduit along an air flow direction; and a pumping device connected with the reservoir portion by a first tube; (ii) adding the liquid into the reservoir portion, wherein the liquid is a sterilization liquid or a disinfection liquid; (iii) activating the pneumatic conveyor to introduce air into the conduit through the air intake; (iv) activating the pumping device in order to transport the liquid to the liquid miniaturization device; and (v) activating the liquid miniaturization device to spray the liquid enabling a countercurrent exchange with the introduced air, wherein the introduced air exits the conduit through the air outlet.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein steps (iii), (iv), and (v) can be performed in sequence or simultaneously.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the disinfection liquid contains hypochlorous acid.

10. The process of claim 7, wherein fungi, mold, bacteria or virus in the indoor air is removed or minimized after step (v).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIGS. 1 (A-B) A is a schematic diagram of the CCE principle. B represents the structure of the novel CCE conduit designed to interact the air and liquid inside.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a practical CCE conduit for the purpose of disinfection.

[0030] FIG. 3 denotes a time-dependent reduction in the average indoor concentration (CFU m-.sup.3) of viable culturable count of fungi by using a representative disinfectant disclosed in the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0031] Referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-2, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1A, a conceptual view of the CCE principle with the direction of gravity 11, the flow direction of the first fluid 12, and the flow direction of the second fluid 13 provided. FIG. 1B represents a conceptual diagram of the present CCE apparatus with the liquid direction 22 and the air flow direction 23 provided.

[0032] FIG. 2 a view of the apparatus 30 in a first as used mode with the air intake 31 and air outlet 32 provided. The apparatus 30 includes a liquid miniaturization device 33, a pneumatic conveyor 34, a reservoir portion 35 and a pumping device 36. The pumping device 36 recycles the disinfectant from the reservoir portion to the liquid miniaturization device.

[0033] In one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus 30 for countercurrent exchange is used, and the apparatus 30 comprises: a conduit 40, comprising: a side wall 41; an inner space 42; an air outlet 32 disposed on a first end 43 of the conduit 40; a liquid miniaturization device 33 disposed in the inner space 42 of the conduit 40 near the air outlet 32, wherein the liquid miniaturization device 33 is used to spray a liquid in a liquid direction 22; an air intake 31 disposed on the side wall near a second end 44 of the conduit 40; and a reservoir portion 35 disposed in the inner space 42 near the second end 44 of the conduit 40 for storing the liquid; a pneumatic conveyor 34 connected with the air intake 31 for introducing air into the conduit 40 along an air flow direction 23; and a pumping device 36 connected with the reservoir portion 35 by a first tube 45, wherein the liquid direction 22 is opposite to the air flow direction 23 in the conduit 40, wherein the pumping device 36 is connected with the liquid miniaturization device 33 by a second tube 46.

[0034] The present invention provides information of sanitizing or disinfecting indoor air for preferably removal of fungi. To this end, the air is mechanically inhaled into a conduit, whereby the air is fully mixed with hypochlorous acid (HClO)-containing disinfectant atomized with a liquid miniaturization device. To achieve a CCE effect, the path of air inside the conduit is upward and the path of atomized disinfectant is downward; to be directly interacted of air with disinfectant in a countercurrent configuration.

[0035] This invention also includes disinfectant compositions that contain, as the active ingredient, HClO, thereof in combination with an environmentally acceptable carriers or excipients. In preparing the composition of this invention, the HClO thereof is usually mixed with an excipient or diluted by an excipient. When the environmentally acceptable excipient serves as a diluent, it is preferable a liquid material, which acts as a vehicle, carrier, medium, or preservative for the active ingredient.

[0036] The following examples are hereby offeredto illustrate this invention and are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1: Mycological Examination

[0037] This embodiment uses a certain volume of air samples to be directly impacted on a medium suitable for fungal growth. Count of the total number of fungal colonies on the medium was used to calculate the total fungal concentration in one cubic meter of air after culturing at 25±1° C. for 5±2 days.

[0038] The medium for mold/fungi culture is Malt extract agar (MEA); each liter of MEA medium contains the following ingredients: [0039] Malt (Maltose) 12.75 g [0040] Dextrin (Dextrin) 2.75 g [0041] Glycerol (glycerol) 2.35 g [0042] Protein (Peptone) 0.78 g [0043] Agar (Agar) 15.00 g

[0044] Dissolve the above components in 1 liter of distilled water pH4.7± 0.2 (25° C.), sterilized at 121° C. for 15 minutes. Subsequently placed in a water bath at about 50° C. to avoid condensation, cool to 45 to 50° C., supplemented with 0.05% chloramphenicol, and aliquot about 20 mL of medium in 90 × 15 mm Petri dishes and allowed them to solidify at room temperature.

[0045] Active air sampling procedures by impaction were performed as followed. Viable-culturable bioaerosol samples for fungi/mold were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) with aerodynamic diameter cut points of 0.65, 1.1, 2.1, 3.3, 4.7, and >7.0 .Math.m. The pump ensured a constant flow rate (28.3 L min.sup.-1) through the impactor. A 90 × 15 mm Petri dish containing Malt extract Agar was placed on all the impactor stages. Impactors were disinfected of spraying 70% ethyl alcohol and wiping. The Petri dishes were incubated for at 25±1° C. for 5±2 days. Enumeration of fungi was conducted according to the previous artisans (Bogomolova & Kirtsideli 2008; Borrego et. al., 2010), and the concentration of fungi aerosol was measured in CFU (colony forming units)/m.sup.3 of air. The impactor was positioned in the middle of the room, 1.5 m above the floor and at least 0.5 m from the corners. The windows and doors of the rooms were closed during the sampling period.

EXAMPLE 2: Formulations of Liquid Disinfectant

[0046] Disinfectants were formulated by preparing the following solution at pH 4.0. [0047] Solution A: Hypochlorous acid water (hypochlorous acid; effective chlorine concentration 30 ppm); [0048] Solution B: 30 ppm hypochlorous acid and 40 ppm sodium hypochloride; [0049] Solution C: 30 ppm hypochlorous acid, 40 ppm sodium hypochloride and hydrogen peroxide 10 ppm [0050] Solution D: 30 ppm hypochlorous acid, 40 ppm sodium hypochloride, 10 ppm hydrogen peroxide, and chloride salt (preferably calcium chloride or lithium choride)

EXAMPLE 3: Outcome Measures

[0051] Two selected areas were used for evaluation where the environmental parameters are as followed: [0052] 1. The first studied area was a concrete floor office located in an urban region and air samples were taken indoors during the early summer season, when the average outdoor air temperature was about 35° C. and the indoor air-conditioning temperature was 24° C. The internal volume was 48.33 m.sup.3 and the relative humidity was 61%. [0053] 2. The second indoor environment was a standard 40’ dry cargo container with internal volume of 67.74 m.sup.3. The indoor temperature was 46° C. and the relative humidity was 75%.

[0054] The CCE disinfection and mycological sampling were performed with the door and/or windows closed. The ventilation of CCE conduit was set at 10 m.sup.3/min.

[0055] As currently there is no available international standard denoting acceptable fungal levels in indoor environments, to further evaluate the efficacy of CCE disinfection, indoor fungal counts were established. The present disclosure observes that the mean average concentration of the fungal aerosol in two indoor environments differed significantly, while it is practically indistinguishable between natural ventilation and air conditioning in the office area (Table 1). The mean average starting level of the fungal aerosol in the damp container with hot and elevated humidity was almost four times higher than the office area.

TABLE-US-00001 Average indoor concentration (CFU m.sup.-3) of viable culturable count of fungi CFU m.sup.-.sup.3 N SD Office with natural ventilation 414.62 9 85.20 Office with air conditioning 422.03 10 132.16 Shipping container 1571.17 7 310.75 N, number of sample; SD, standard deviation

[0056] Using the average indoor concentrations as the reference initial fungal levels and to serve as a control, the invention compared the results with CCE disinfection every hour during six-hour cleaning period. Over the 6-hr duration of the investigation, operating the CCE disinfection for 1 hr caused the viable count of fungi to drop precipitately and remained at substantially low levels for the rest of 5 hr (FIG. 3). Furthermore, at the end of 1-hr treatment, there is no significant difference among four formulations of HOCl-containing disinfectants (Table 2), suggesting the efficiency for mycotic control in combination with CCE.

TABLE-US-00002 Representative effect of CCE on average indoor concentration (CFU m.sup.-3) of fungi CFU m.sup.-3 0 hr 1 hr A B C D Office with natural ventilation 414.62 21.18 23.32 19.87 22.35 Office with air conditioning 422.03 25.32 24.18 23.10 24.67 Shipping container 1571.17 42.33 37.80 38.11 41.43 A, B, C and D represent four formulations of HOCl-containing disinfectants as disclosed.

[0057] A system encompasses a countercurrent exchange conduit and user-specific media for air circulation and cleaning. Within the conduit, a liquid miniaturization device (such as atomization device), liquid of antiseptic and/or disinfectant, and a pneumatic conveyor of said apparatus are localized in a proper direction, thereby forming sanitary cleaning equipments with good disinfection efficiency. The beneficial effect of the present invention is that it can disinfect and cool the ambient air without spilling the antiseptic or disinfectant out, which can achieve the functions of disinfection and sterilization and rapid heat dissipation at the same time, and economically and effectively achieve the purpose of environmental sanitation and cleaning control.

[0058] Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.