The COVID-19 virus is compounding the worries of parents. As schools reopen in some regions, school districts are implementing more robust methods of disinfecting their schools and keeping kids safe from infection. But some may not know that one of nature’s best weapons against viruses and bacteria is ozonated water.

Ozone is a strong oxidant that acts as a natural sanitizer. Sanitization using ozone removes the need for dangerous chemical disinfectants and is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional sanitization products. Ozone acts 3,000 times faster than chlorine and is 50 times more effective. After the sanitization process ozone simply reforms into oxygen molecules, without emitting any harmful by-products.

Ozonated water, or aqueous ozone, has tremendous oxidation and bacteria-killing properties. There are still some misconceptions regarding the safety and efficacy of using ozonated water as a disinfectant. There may be concerns about the side effects of ozone. In this article, we will discuss common misconceptions about ozonated water and how it can keep your early childhood center safe. 

How Is Ozonated Water Formed?

When oxygen is treated with a low-voltage current, its molecules break down and then rejoin. This process forms activated oxygen, (O3) known as ozone. Ozone is commonly found in the atmosphere. When ozone is made from water by using an electrolytic ozone generator, the newly-ozonated water becomes a powerful disinfection agent.

Keeping Your Early Childhood Center Safe from Viruses and Bacteria with Ozone

Among the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining a sanitized environment has become more important than ever. But parents may be concerned about the disinfecting methods schools are adopting and wonder if their children will be kept safe. Here are some safe ways to keep viruses and bacteria at bay, which can help educational centers get back on their feet. 

Install ozonated water generators on taps 

Using sanitizers and spraying disinfectants every hour is great for high-school students, but how do you keep kindergarten and preschool students safe? Children can be messy and careless, therefore we recommend that schools install ozonated water systems in their plumbing to ensure children wash their hands with ozonated sanitizing water rather than just tap water. The Water Disinfection System (WDS) from BioSure can be installed on a tap and used to generate ozonated water. This allows students to rinse their hands with ozonated water after thoroughly washing them — a crucial final step to help eliminate viral threats.

◀ Ozone Water Disinfection System

Maintain a Chemical Free Environment 

Conventional industrial chemicals are commonly used to kill bacteria and viruses in large public spaces like schools. However, these chemicals can be harmful to children who can be sensitive to their harsh odors and chemical residues. Chemical sanitizers release harmful gases that have a pungent smell, making it difficult for some to breathe. Moreover, these chemicals, over time, can cause health conditions such as asthma. Ozonated water is a better alternative for early childhood centers as it is odorless and colorless, making it the safest choice for use in schools. Additionally, ozonated water has high oxidation properties that can remove toxic elements. 

Use an Environmentally Friendly Disinfecting Solution

Educational institutes have a responsibility for providing a safe learning environment. Using chemical products can leave chemical residues that damage the environment. One of the biggest downsides of chemical-based cleaning products is that they end up in natural waterways after being used to clean. Research shows that every year the average American uses 40 pounds of toxic chemicals for cleaning that harm our natural environment. 

While ozonated water is considered to be 3,000 times more powerful than bleach, it is an environmentally friendly disinfecting solution that’s safe for humans and harmless to the environment when discarded. Since ozonated water quickly reverts back to clean, pure water, it does not harm the environment in any way. 

Disinfect Playground Surfaces 

Children spend a large part of their time outside the classroom on the playground. The playground, however, is a red-zone for viruses and bacteria since it’s out in the open. Use an ozone spray bottle such as the OSB from BioSure to spray playground surfaces with high-concentration ozonated water that’s still safe for kids. Spraying ozonated water on play equipment before recess can minimize the chances of catching deadly diseases from surface contact with slides, swings, and other playground equipment. 

As a second layer of defense, installing ozonated water taps can minimize viral infection risks from the playground. This way, children can wash their hands before and after going to the playground by using disinfecting ozonated water. 

◀ Ozone Spray Bottle Pro

Benefits in Using Ozonated Water for Preschools and Early Childhood Centers

Ozonated water has been used in commercial cleaning for more than a decade and has been used to disinfect municipal water sources for almost a century. Businesses and homeowners have found there are real benefits compared to using chemical disinfection agents. Here are some benefits to using ozone generators for early kindergartens and early childhood centers. 

Ozonated Water is Safe For Children 

Although ozonated water has been used for a hundred years, it’s only relatively recently emerged as a mainstream sanitizing agent. Using ozonated water for disinfection is entirely safe. Its oxidizing properties are able to kill water-based pathogens that even chlorine can’t eliminate.

Ozonated water or misting ozone from a Space Sanitizer System (SSS) by BES is safer to use around children than chemical sanitizers that leave pungent odors and residues. Ozonated water has activated oxygen molecules that are highly reactive but revert back to clean, pure water in just minutes, leaving no such chemical residues. It can be prepared on sight, so there is no need to transport and store it, as you would with large vats of chemical sanitizers. 

◀ Space Sanitizer System Plus

Ozonated Water Has no Odor 

Ozonated water is odorless and releases no odors even after making contact with surfaces. Meanwhile,  chemical sanitizers like chlorine have strong odors that can irritate eyes and nasal passages for hours after being used. Young learners are particularly sensitive to these chemicals and may not have a strong enough immune system to fight off allergies and irritation from these chemicals.

Ozonated Water Saves Money

With the widespread use of hand sanitizers made from 75% alcohol spray, preschools and childcare centers are racking up the high costs of stocking enough of these chemical sanitizers for potentially hundreds or thousands of students and staff. With an electrolytic ozone generator that attaches to a water line, students can simply turn on the tap and have an endless supply of hand sanitizer available. This substantially cuts down costs over the long term for schools that are taking measures to protect their students from viruses and bacteria.

Ending Note

As COVID-19 infections increase worldwide, educators have to do their part to keep themselves and others, especially our children — safe from infection. Ozonated water is a solution that is both safe for young kids and better for the environment. It’s also more economical over time and extremely effective, even when compared to strong chemical cleaning agents. Let’s give our kids the best chance of staying healthy during these uncertain times. Installing ozonated water systems in childhood care centers is a smart and easy way to keep learning environments safe.

A major central kitchen and food processing company in Taipei, Taiwan prepares ingredients and meals from central locations and delivers them to satellite kitchens. The ingredients get turned into meals for numerous restaurant clients around Taipei City. They focus on delivering food from a variety of cuisines including local Chinese, Taiwanese, hot pot, and even fine dining.

Problem

Before sending the ingredients to satellite kitchens, staff at the central kitchen need to clean and sanitize all produce and seafood, as this is prone to bacteria. They had previously been using watered-down chemical agents to soak produce and remove bacteria and pesticide residues — as well as extend the shelf life of the ingredients. But this was time-consuming, as it takes four hours to sanitize produce this way. Staff needed to soak produce overnight so it would be ready to serve the next day. Additionally, using chemical disinfectants is not safe for humans over time, as it leaves chemical residue on the food. The central kitchen was looking for a faster, more environmentally friendly, and safer way to disinfect food ingredients.

Solution

The central kitchen attached the Water Disinfection System (WDS) by BioSure to every sink in their kitchens to pour ozonated water from faucets. They use post-filtration water to generate ozonated water through the WDS electrolytic ozone generator, creating a sanitizing agent to remove bacteria from produce. Time savings are immense, as with ozonated water it just takes 30 seconds for the sanitation process to work, versus four hours with chemicals. It doesn’t leave any harmful chemical residues. There are also substantial cost savings in not needing to buy and store large vats of chemical agents, plus the cost savings in labor when staff mix chemical cleaning agents together — a process that is prone to human error. Now the disinfection of produce and seafood is faster, cheaper, and better, with their customers benefiting the most from ozonated water.

A beer bar chain in Europe serves thousands of customers a day. These customers go to enjoy the fresh beer that comes out of the tap, rather than bottled or canned beer — which has a distinct“preserved” flavor to it. But there are challenges to maintaining freshness and safety standards in the fresh tap beer that these bars serve every day.

Problem

The problem with serving beer on tap is keeping the beer fresh and the beer tap system sanitized and bacteria-free. Bacteria are prone to grow on beer tap faucets, as beer is a target for bacteria more than many other beverages thanks to the high sugar content in the beer coming from the wheat and hops. Bacteria love to feed on this, making continuous disinfection of beer lines necessary for every bar manager. Bar staff usually disinfect beer lines by letting out the rest of the beer and then injecting chemical cleaning agents to disinfect the beer lines. Then they use tap water to flush the chemicals, but they can’t be sure that all chemical residue is removed. This is a danger to customers. If bars do not clean these beer lines well, customers can get sick or be hospitalized.

Solution

By implementing the Beer Line Disinfection System (BLDS) by BioSure, the bar chain was able to automate the disinfection of their beer lines among all of their branches using ozonated water. The BLDS uses patented Electrolytic Ozone Generation (EOG) to produce high-concentration ozone from water, ensuring safe beer in the most efficient and affordable way to customers. Once the ozonated water disinfects the beer line, it reverts to oxygen without leaving chemical residuals as chlorine does. The now clean-and-clear beer line is ready to serve beer without toxins or chemical residuals. The BioSure system takes only eight minutes to complete. Because the process produces no chemicals, the BLDS can sanitize beer lines multiple times a day without interrupting the beverage supply or stopping from serving customers. It’s also cost-effective as it only needs minimal water and electricity consumption. Therefore, it is one of the most affordable and safe disinfection options, offering a quick return on investment to bar owners.

Airlines have to feed thousands of passengers everyday. They rely on central kitchens at airports to prepare airline meals. A popular dish at one airline might need to be prepared 5,000 times a day, per airline.

Problem

There have been various documented cases of food poisoning from airline food. The US Food and Drug Administration has issued nearly 1,500 food safety citations to the three major airline caterers (Gate Group, Flying Food Group, LSG Sky Chefs) and 16 airlines since October 2008, according to an NBC News investigation. NBC found that 500 of these cases were related to contamination or sanitation violations, but none were severe enough for the FDA to shut down a catering facility. Part of the reason for these violations is that a long period of time passes between food preparation, loading onto the aircraft, and consumption by passengers. During this time, the food is prone to bacteria growing on it.

Solution

To fight against bacterial infection among passengers and reduce the risk of further citations, airlines are using ozonated water to prewash produce served on flights from these airport central kitchens. This also helps eliminates residues from pesticides that can potentially harm humans. Ozonated water as a disinfection method is not only more effective than chemical disinfection agents but also safe for people and the environment. After removing bacteria and pesticides from produce, ozonated water reverts to oxygen, creating safer meals and bringing a dramatic drop in both infection and citations among airlines and their passengers without harm to the environment.

Dr. Burt Kuran is a dental surgeon in Melbourne, Australia. Patients in the Melbourne area count on Dr. Kuran for exceptional treatment when undergoing dental surgical procedures. He is one of the first dentists in Australia to use ozonated water as part of the disinfection process.

Problem

Dr. Kuran’s clinic has multiple surgical rooms, each with a dental unit. The water lines in the dental unit had been subjected to biofilm buildup, as they use post-filtration water without chlorine, thus creating a breeding ground for bacteria. This was causing bacteria to enter the water lines and biofilm buildup was clogging these thin tubes. As a dental surgeon, Dr. Kuran needed to provide safe water for patients to rinse with and for surgeons to wash their hands with. When dental unit water lines were compromised with biofilm and blocked, Dr. Kuran had to pay a technician to come in and flush them clean for each dental unit. He was looking for an automated way to continuously sanitize dental unit waterlines and remove biofilm to provide patients the best possible treatment.

Solution

When Dr. Kuran learned about the Water Disinfection System (WDS) inline ozone disinfection solution by BioSure, he was pleased to know he could disinfect dental unit water lines without calling a technician and without adding any additional processes to keep water lines clean. He installed a WDS unit in each surgical room to automate the disinfection process and avoid biofilm from building up in the units. This creates safe water for patients to rinse with and prevents biofilm buildup in the dental units. Additionally, Dr. Kuran and the dental staff use the WDS for hand washing before, during, and after surgical procedures. Staff at Dr. Kuran’s clinic are now finding peace of mind that disinfection processes are automated, and patients are benefitting from superior treatment.

Dr. Chuang is a gum disease specialist in Australia. He treats patients with painful gum conditions who experience bleeding gums when they brush. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis, and if left untreated, a condition called periodontitis can develop that affects the tissues that hold teeth in place.

Problem

Dr. Chuang was looking to offer superior care by minimizing gum bleeding between treatments when patients brush or floss their teeth. He was looking for a way to reduce conditions that the patient came in for before, during, and after gum disease treatment.

Solution

Dr. Chuang tested the Tumbler by BioSure for two months on himself during morning and daytime rinsing. He found that ozonated water from the tumbler minimized gum bleeding after flossing. He prescribed the unit to patients with gum disease to use between treatments. After prescribing rinsing with the tumbler to patients, he was able to examine the health of the gums, discovering that gum bleeding reduced — and that patients wouldn’t have recovered as well without the tumbler. The ozone tumbler effectively reduced the amount of blood after flossing. Previously, he would prescribe drugs like antibiotics to control the bacteria known to infect patients with gum disease. But twice a day rinsing with the tumbler was enough to prevent such complications and was able to prolong the benefits of gum disease treatments after the first week of rinsing.

Now that Dr. Chuang has implemented ozonated water solutions for the benefit of his patients, he is looking to implement BioSure’s Post-filtration Disinfection System (PFDS) for eliminating biofilm buildup that tends to affect dental unit waterlines with ozonated water.

Dr. Phil Hand is a dental surgeon who uses a laser system to perform surgeries. He requires his patients to pre-rinse with ozonated water before surgery to eliminate bacteria in the mouth — ensuring safer oral hygiene and minimizing the risk of airborne bacteria being transferred during the dental operation. Dr. Hand also uses ozonated water as a sanitizer to disinfect surfaces and dental units between surgeries, creating a germ-free environment for both patients and dental staff.

Problem

Performing dental surgery without pre-rinsing can lead to bacterial infections or complications in patients. But traditional chemical rinses may cause infection and/or discoloring of the teeth due to the chemical chlorhexidine. Alcohol-based rinses can also dry out the tissue in the mouth, causing dehydration and even stinging or irritation of the gums in some patients. Dr. Hand wanted to implement a pre-rinsing protocol before surgeries, but pre-rinsing is not common practice as there is currently no chemical solution on the market that is deemed safe and natural enough to accommodate this.

Solution

Dr. Hand installed a Central Disinfection Unit (CDU) by BioSure to the dental units of each surgical room in the clinic so that patients can pre-rinse with ozonated water before surgery. This lets patients reduce the risk from bacteria that can cause oral infections or medical conditions. The pre-rinse can also prevent the onset or development of tooth decay and is known to even promote wound healing after surgery. Furthermore, Dr. Hand also uses ozonated water to sanitize the dental units and surfaces in the dental surgery room, thus preventing the spread of surface bacteria. As a result, patients are receiving a superior level of care and service not found in dental surgery clinics that have yet to implement ozonated water solutions.

What: Dental Clinic Disinfection & Sanitization

Where: Summerville, South Carolina, USA

Who: Dr. Jim Muscott, BSME, DDS

Problem

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Simmons & Muscott Dental Clinic in South Carolina was looking to restore confidence in safety for both patients and staff, critical to continued operations and providing care. Their challenges were to achieve an environment where they can eliminate cross-contamination safely with minimal use and exposure to chemicals. They needed to adequately sanitize surfaces and disinfect their dental clinics.

Solution

The Simmons & Muscott Dental Clinic chose the BioSure solution primarily for the safety and simplicity of using water as the source for oxygen, as well as the stability and safety of applying the aqueous ozone solution when other people are around, including dental staff, patients, and others. Additionally, they chose the BioSure solution because it has the highest concentration of ozone available in this configuration. They chose ozone systems instead of a traditional solution like chlorine because of several factors:

•A desire to limit human exposure to chemicals

•Ozone is a more powerful oxidizer in neutralizing pathogens

•Unlimited availability and convenience of using water and electricity

•Elimination of waste

•Return on investment

•Friendlier to surfaces and materials where other chemicals are degrading them quickly

The cost was secondary because the primary factor was to create the safest environment by eliminating pathogens and minimizing toxic exposure to chemicals.

Given BioSure ozonated systems’ documented payback period of five to six months, it provides a significant cost advantage over consumable disinfectant products. The clinic is saving an average of $USD 500 to $700 per month in chemicals and has achieved in excess of $3,500 in labor efficiencies by shortening the time to turnover operatories and exam rooms.

The cost was secondary because the primary factor was to create the safest environment by eliminating pathogens and minimizing toxic exposure to chemicals. Given BioSure ozonated systems’ documented payback period of five to six months, it provides a significant cost advantage over consumable disinfectant products. The clinic is saving an average of $USD 500 to $700 per month in chemicals and has achieved in excess of $3,500 in labor efficiencies by shortening the time to turnover operatories and exam rooms.

Environmental impact was also important. Creating a safe, clean environment is their first priority. This not only means eliminating pathogens but also limiting the amount of toxic chemical exposure from packaged disinfectants. In addition, a major benefit was the avoidance of waste-related used chemical products and their packaging that goes to landfills.

They learned about ozone technology through the introduction of BES Technologies by BNA. In addition, there is an extensive amount of useful information in the public domain that is well documented from credible sources. Customer understanding of ozone technology is limited but improving. Developing a clear understanding of the science of ozonated water is the great hurdle to overcome. Once this is achieved, it becomes much easier to create a higher valuation and appreciation of BES Technologies.