INTRODUCING CHLORINE BLEACH 氯漂剂

INTRODUCING CHLORINE BLEACH

氯漂剂

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What is chlorine bleach used for?

There are several types of chlorine bleach. The type of bleach consumers are most familiar with is sodium hypochlorite. Those bleaches are sold in supermarkets in a bleach solution of 6% sodium hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite is produced by chemically reacting chlorine gas with sodium hydroxide/NaOH solution. Calcium hypochlorite is another bleaching compound often referred to as bleaching powder or granular bleach. It is a dry solid sold in granules or compacted discs. Chlorine bleach has been used for generations to disinfect surfaces and maintain swimming pools. It can be used to bleach products including laundry, paper, soap, straw and cotton. Because it is one of the world’s most common and affordable disinfectants, bleach plays a key role in public health especially after a natural disaster or during an emergency. Using bleach solutions on frequently touched surfaces, such as door knobs, and on food contact surfaces, can help prevent the spread of diseases by destroying pathogens. Bleach is commonly used to disinfect surfaces in kid care and adult care places and in hospitals where there is an increased risk of spreading infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistant superbugs.

Is bleach harmful?

When bleach is used according to the manufacturers’ label instructions, it does not pose a risk. Of course, using chlorine bleach in ways it is not supposed to be used can pose a risk. Therefore, it is advised to use bleach according to the manufacturer’s label instructions.

How does chlorine bleach disinfect?

The powerful disinfectant properties of chlorine bleach are actually mainly a result of the formation of hypochlorous acid. It can easily make contact with and pass through the cell walls/membranes of Salmonella or norovirus pathogens. Once inside the pathogen, the hypochlorous acid chemically interacts with proteins, causing their intricate structure to unfold, which disrupts their functions and inactivates the pathogen. Effective bleach disinfection depends upon adequate contact time with the pathogen. The recommended contact time is a function of the temperature, the bleach solution strength, and the specific pathogen. Certain pathogens require longer contact times than others.

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