Solution to “Legionella”
As a result of the joint working between teams of experts from the Iberia Ashland Chemical, S.A. company and the INASMET-Tecnalia Technological Centre, a solution has been found to prevent the serious disease caused by the bacteria known as “Legionella” and other similar disorders.
This achievement has meant a great advance for human health. It is based on the biocidal and bacteriostatic effect of the SONOXIDE system, used in refrigeration towers of factory buildings and installations that are prone to be the focus for the proliferation of Legionnaires disease.
In order to validate the system, the team of INASMET-Tecnalia experts designed a refrigeration tower simulation within a biologically-isolated laboratory (P2 level). A wide range of trials were carried out in this isolated and secure system in order to determine the efficacy thereof.
Regarding the technology developed, it consists of a system based on low-intensity, high-frequency ultrasounds which, together with the introduction of micro-bubbles of air, produce an effect of photo-sonoluminiscence. The concentration of ultrasounds by constructive interference generates a pressure front that produces a decompression of the gases dissolved in the water. This wave front produces a luminous plasma around the bubbles, as well as high pressure and temperatures.
These pressures and temperatures have two effects: on the one hand, they eliminate the circulating bacteria and, on the other, they generate an oxidative stress that is transmitted throughout the water refrigeration system. This stress, together with the continuous loss of circulating bacteria throughout the system, reduces the formation of biofilm even at extremely low levels – and maintains this to such an extent that the fixing of “legionella” bacteria or any other micro-organisms needing biofilm in order to grow in the system, is impeded.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.basqueresearch.comAll latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
Simplified diagnosis of rare eye diseases
Uveitis experts provide an overview of an underestimated imaging technique. Uveitis is a rare inflammatory eye disease. Posterior and panuveitis in particular are associated with a poor prognosis and a…
Targeted use of enfortumab vedotin for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma
New study identifies NECTIN4 amplification as a promising biomarker – Under the leadership of PD Dr. Niklas Klümper, Assistant Physician at the Department of Urology at the University Hospital Bonn…
A novel universal light-based technique
…to control valley polarization in bulk materials. An international team of researchers reports in Nature a new method that achieves valley polarization in centrosymmetric bulk materials in a non-material-specific way…