In the early development of electrolyzed water, electrolytic cells were only capable of generating small volumes of acidic electrolyzed water with a very limited shelf life. Because of a dramatic improvement in Clarentis Technologies' electrolytic cell technology in 2009, Clarentis Technologies' disinfectant, Ultra-Lyte®, can be produced as a stable, high-level disinfectant.
Ultra-Lyte® is less toxic, less volatile, easier to handle, compatible with other water treatment chemicals, effective against biofilm, and generates no by-products compared to most other biocides.
Ultra-Lyte® is highly biocidal but has a very low chemical load (measured in FAC) compared to sodium hypochlorite and is not harmful to the environment or humans.
Because Ultra-Lyte® effectively destroys microorganisms, they are not presently known to build up resistance to Ultra-Lyte®, as they can to other sanitizers, cleaners, and disinfectants. Standard toxic chemicals can create strains of pathogens that become resistant over time because the cell can expel or neutralize the chemical before it can kill it, thereby causing the overall efficacy of chemical cleaners and disinfectants to be significantly reduced.
Ultra-Lyte® offers an environmentally sound alternative to chlorine and other oxidizing biocides. Ultra-Lyte® is proven to be more effective in killing bacteria, molds, and other microbiological organisms, and more effective in deactivating viruses than chlorine* alone.
Ultra-Lyte® is, by chemical content, nearly identical to the active components found in common chemical bactericidal agents. However, unlike extremely toxic substances such as chloramines, formaldehyde, or iodine, the active components of Ultra-Lyte® are non-toxic, non-irritating, biologically harmless, and ecologically safe. Because of its neutral pH, Ultra-Lyte® does not aggressively contribute to the corrosion of processing equipment or the irritation of hands.
Ultra-Lyte® has a high Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP, expressed in millivolts). ORP correlates with the sanitizing ability of treated water, irrespective of the kind of disinfectant used. For example, water treated to have an ORP of >500 mV for approximately one hour would be assured of being free of E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and other pathogens. The high ORP levels of >850 mV found in Ultra-Lyte® are possible due to the elimination of caustic chemicals. This feature of Ultra-Lyte® allows for a higher level of ORP than disinfectants such as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). When caustic sodium hypochlorite is used, it raises the pH of water and thereby dramatically reduces its efficacy (ORP). When Ultra-Lyte® is used, the pH of the water is not raised but is slightly lowered, and its ORP remains stable or is enhanced.
Electrochemically synthesized reagents, such as Ultra-Lyte®, are gaining rapid popularity in a number of applications. Not only does this technology offer a cost-effective alternative to existing technologies, but it is also contributing to environmental protection.
All water disinfection will result in the formation of disinfection by-products. Ultra-Lyte® is no exception but has the advantage that it does not contain the hydroxyl ion and will oxidize organic material to form lower levels of chlorates, thus reducing halogenated by-products. The inorganic by-products (trihalomethanes (THMs), chlorite, chlorate, and chloride ions) formed when Ultra-Lyte® is used are held in balance at much lower levels. Thus, lower disinfection by-products are produced in the process, at a level of about 30%–50% when compared with sodium hypochlorite and other oxidants.
Chlorine is currently the most widely used oxidizing biocide. It is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants.
The use of chlorine as a microbiocide and water disinfectant is declining because of safety, environmental, and community impact considerations. According to the MSDS for chlorine, this chemical is highly toxic, corrosive, and may be fatal if inhaled. It is considered to be a marine pollutant, and in the upper atmosphere, chlorine atoms have been implicated in the destruction of the ozone layer. An environmentally sound alternative to chlorine and other oxidizing biocides is needed.
Various alternatives to chlorine use have been explored, including bleach, bleach with bromide, non-oxidizing biocides, ozone, ultraviolet, chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite, chloramines (chlorine & ammonia), copper-silver ionization, and thermal disinfection. Alternative devices include chlorinators, electrically generated ozonators, and copper/silver cathodes that use electrical activity to cause the release of silver and copper ions into drinking water. Each chemical and device offers some unique advantages, but each has distinct disadvantages.
The HOCl in Ultra-Lyte® has been found to offer the advantages of other biocidal alternatives without their disadvantages. Categories of objective analysis include efficacy, safety, taste and odor, impact on equipment and systems (corrosion), effect on scale, biofilm, residual effects, ease of use, maintenance, and cost.
Although Ultra-Lyte® is measured and dosed as free available chlorine, it exhibits behavioral traits associated with more active chlor-oxygen chemistry than traditional chlorine. In contrast to other chlorine technologies, oxidants such as Ultra-Lyte® offer superior disinfection efficacy, elimination of biofilm, more durable chlorine residual levels, and reduced formation of disinfection by-products. Ultra-Lyte® readily oxidizes ammonia, sulfides, iron, and manganese and can cause a microflocculation effect (reduction in turbidity) in pretreatment. Even at residual levels as high as 10 ppm, Ultra-Lyte® leaves minimal to no odor or chlorine taste in treated water.
Production of Ultra-Lyte® is similar to the process of fabricating standard sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), with one significant difference. Sodium hypochlorite combines Cl₂ with caustic soda (lye) to stabilize chlorine. The manufacturing process of Ultra-Lyte® eliminates the use of caustic soda by using high-rejection membrane technology to produce pure HOCl. With the sodium removed, the benefits of HOCl become immediately evident when used as a biocide. The elimination of lye makes disinfection possible without the high-pH elements associated with sodium hypochlorite. Ultra-Lyte® is produced at a pH close to 6.0, thereby delivering high efficacy in short contact times without the use of caustics.
Independent research has confirmed that the effectiveness of Ultra-Lyte® in reducing total microbial counts is superior to that of sodium hypochlorite. The biocidal activity of HOCl generated by the new Ultra-Lyte® System is up to 100 times greater than the sodium hypochlorite generated by earlier systems. Sodium hypochlorite or gaseous chlorine at the same concentration found in Ultra-Lyte® leads to slower microbial kill and more corrosion when tested following ASTM guidelines.
Activated solutions such as Ultra-Lyte® have been conclusively shown to exceed chemically derived equivalents in both low-dose effectiveness and physicochemical purity. This heightened biocidal capacity relative to traditional chemical solutions permits the use of Ultra-Lyte® at lower dose rates, decreasing the risk of adverse environmental impact.
In data obtained from independent test reports, no evidence of toxicity has been observed for HOCl, with the exception of a possible impact on aquatic life. The EPA requires only a "Caution" label for HOCl registrations. However, the HOCl present at <0.05% in Ultra-Lyte® should not produce any harmful toxicity. Based on available information, one can reasonably conclude that Ultra-Lyte® is safe to use in the industries and for the applications envisioned by Clarentis Technologies. Ultra-Lyte® is a Category 4 biocide and Category 3 for eye effects.