Evolution of HOCl

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl or HClO), a weak acid, is found in white blood cells (WBCs) of the human body, or all mammals for that matter. It is soluble in water and forms a productive disinfectant. Known to be a nontoxic solution since ages, its pattern of usage has gracefully evolved over time.

Who discovered it?

The French chemist, Antoine Jerome Balard, discovered today’s effective and safe disinfectant solution, HOCl. The discovery was made in the year 1834 when Balard added a dilute mix of mercury (II) oxide in water to chlorine gas.

Evolution of HOCl

Despite being a safe, non-toxic, and effective solution to many problems, it is complicated and expensive to maintain a stable version of HOCl. It was not until recently when scientists were able to produce and maintain stable and cost-effective HOCl that can be used for commercial use.

Let’s see its evolution process

• 1870s

The first commercial use of HOCl started when Michael Faraday founded the process of electrolysis and its use for HOCl generation.

• 1970s

The development of a phenomenal technique that could generate HOCl from saltwater called electrochemical activation (ECA). It is nothing but generation by passing electricity via a saltwater solution.

In the early days, saltwater was pushed into solutions of HOCl and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) with the help of membranes.

• 1980s

Technology evolved to single-stream systems that help in the generation of pure HOCl without any byproduct.

• Recent few years and now

Eventual upgrades and innovations led to the production of a more stable HOCl solution that can successfully be used for commercial purposes.

Evolution in the applicability and uses of HOCl

HOCl is naturally present in all mammals and is composed by blood cells to protect and heal. Our body uses HOCl to defend itself against external agents and cleansing the skin. As inside the body, an artificially produced pH-neutralized HOCl works in a similar way in the outside environment. It is a weak acid like a fruit juice; however, a powerful oxidant effective against pathogens.

Used as a wound care solution during World War I, the disinfectant now finds its use in sanitation, food safety, medical, and water treatment industries.

• Wound care

Apparently, this was the very first use of HOCl after its discovery. It was used to irrigate, clean, neutralize, and disinfect wounds by the armies for the injured in world wars I and II. In 2016, he United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) approved the HOCl-based solutions to be used in treating wounds and infections in human beings and pets. It was also found to be effective and safe in treating chronic non-healing injuries.

• Food safety

After exhaustive research, HOCl has proven to be fairly applicable and effective in the field of food safety. It is actively used to disinfect water distribution containers and cooking surfaces. It is also used in the F&B industry due to its nontoxic and non-flammable nature. It also ensures that the pathogen count on these surfaces and places is below the infectious levels.

• Water treatment

HOCl is widely used for water treatment, especially in swimming pools. It is an active component of hypochlorite products used in the pools. In addition, it is also used in water transport, like ships and boats, by sanitation devices to disinfect them. These devices pass electricity through seawater (which is saline) to generate HOCl.

• Skin product

HOCl is not only nontoxic and nonirritating but is also beneficial for human skin. It acts as a cleansing agent that keeps the skin healthy and infection-free. It was tested to be safe and not resulting in any eye or skin irritation in a clinical study. In addition, it treats skin conditions like eczema and makes your face acne-free.

• Deodorization

Itself odourless; HOCl effectively removes stinking odor from washrooms, garbage areas, rotten food, etc.

• Medical

HOCl water is a strong disinfectant and a good cleaning & sanitizing agent. Clinical studies have shown the solution to be effective against even the (currently) most dreadful coronavirus that hangs over the world as COVID-19. Its capability to penetrate the membranes of microorganisms makes it effective as a disinfectant and deodorizer.

Besides these splendid features and applicability of the product, it is non-corrosive, non-flammable, and classified as nonhazardous by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).

Recently, there have been requests made to the World Health Organization (WHO) to include HOCl in its list of essential medicines, based on the below facts and studies.

• Approved by US FDA for use on food products like meat, fruits, and vegetables, on food-contact surfaces, utensils, and other food processing equipments.
• Approved by Canada Health department as a COVID-19 disinfectant.
• Approved by Australian Government for use against coronavirus.
• Approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to be used in the country’s National Organic Program.
• Approved by the US EPA as a no-rinse food sanitizer and for use in drinking water. 17 of its products approved for COVID-19 disinfection purposes. 
• Determined as effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 by the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation.
• Stated as exhibiting ‘broad spectrum antimicrobial activity’ in a report published by DelRosso and Bhatia in 2020.
• Over 10 HOCl solutions approved for wound care use by the US FDA. 
• Efficacy of Briotech HOCl against microorganisms Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as established by the Functional Water Association of Japan and Cantacuzino Institute in Romania.

These and various other studies identify HOCl as a safe, non-hazardous, nontoxic, and effective disinfectant solution that has evolved from a wound healer to inactivating deadly viruses and bacteria.

It’s time we, too, evolve and shift our focus towards this eco-friendly product.

Avani Raj Arora