Nitralife supplies Nannochem with nitrogen generator to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and other pathogens
Nitralife, a local pioneer in the manufacture and supply of nitrogen generation equipment since 1996, has recently supplied leading nano-active, antimicrobial sanitisers and mister manufacturer Nannochem, with a Nitralife nitrogen generator. This will assist Nannochem with the production of its flagship products, which are created for use in the current ongoing fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as against other potentially deadly pathogens.
Tom Sowry, Managing Director of Nitralife, explains: “With more than 24 years of nitrogen generator manufacturing knowledge, we are now expanding our solutions across a number of industries. Through our relationship with Nannochem, we are pleased to enter into the healthcare sector.
As a local, pioneering supplier and manufacturer of nitrogen generation equipment, we provide our customers with a cost-effective, on-demand and on-site supply of high-purity nitrogen, available seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
Russel Hawkins, Chief Executive Officer at Nannochem, adds: “We have been involved in the development of cutting-edge nano particle, antimicrobial solutions for some time. We are therefore very pleased to know that going forward Nannochem will have the added advantage of being able to access on-site and on-demand nitrogen production of nitrogen used in our production processes.
We have made it our mission to provide products that are safe, affordable and effective in the fight against surface and airborne transmission of COVID-19. In addition to water, our flagship products include the use of nanno titanium, copper, silver, tungsten and hydrogen peroxide to rapidly attack the DNA of bacteria, and the bilipid membrane, proteins, nucleic acid and RNA of envelope viruses.”
The key products that Nannochem manufactures are the HydroMist Timer Spray and HydroMist Mister, which are nano-activated anti-microbial misters that prevent the airborne and surface transmission of pathogens. The company also manufactures HydroCare, a top-up disinfectant which is used to disinfect surfaces to prevent the surface transmission of bacteria and viruses.
Nitrogen plays a key role in the production of these products, and therefore the benefits of having on-site nitrogen generation – available on-demand, 24 x 7 – will be tremendously advantageous to Nannochem moving forward.
“We needed to be able to ensure on-demand nitrogen production,” advises Hawkins, “and in addition the supply thereof needed to be scalable. The combination of our requirement plus Nitralife’s nitrogen generation capabilities created the perfect solution for us!”
He emphasises that the nano titanium, silver, copper and tungsten content in Nannochem’s products is well within the safe limit of 5 parts per million (PPM). Furthermore, they have been tested and certified in accordance with European and South African safety standards – and have been proven to kill even the most resilient superbugs, bacterial spores and fungi which they have been tested on. HydroMist in particular has been efficacy-tested by the University of the Free State, and found to have a 100% kill rate against a cocktail of deadly airborne pathogens, while being completely safe to be used around humans and animals.
Hawkins notes: “Everything in our product range has been backed by meticulous scientific research and testing – and is supported by the necessary evidence and certifications. Our HydroMist product was specifically engineered to inactivate all airborne strains of the COVID-19 virus – disrupting the replication function of the spike proteins which form part of the structure of this virus.”
The fact that HydroMist has also proven to be so effective at killing off other pathogens has been a tremendous bonus for Nannochem. This product includes the use of hydrogen peroxide and nano titanium, silver, copper, tungsten – also known as colloidal nano – for its powerful antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. By infusing the aqueous solution with nitrogen, the nanoparticles can successfully be stabilised – and a stable, usable solution can be produced.
“Our manufacturing process goes through nine different stages to produce the HydroMist formulation, of which the infusion of the nitrogen is one of the stages. Without the use of nitrogen, the presence of unstable nanoparticles would accelerate a chemical reaction known as galvanic corrosion, making it impossible to proceed with the other stages of the manufacturing process. However, when we infuse the nitrogen into the process, this stabilises the nanoparticles, and means we can guarantee product stability and shelf-life.”
Hawkins recounts the example of one of his clients – a frail care old age home which had been severely affected by COVID-19 in the middle of last year – resulting in a number of fatalities:
“We approached the management of the old age home and suggested that they trial our HydroMist product,” he explains. “They agreed, and we installed the product throughout the premises. The trial was extremely successful and some 14 months later, I am very pleased to report that there have been no further fatalities or COVID-19 infections within the home since! HydroMist also demonstrated a significant reduction in the airborne transmission of influenza and general bacterial infections in the home.”
He adds that going forward, he believes that HydroMist will also play an important role in the fight against drug-resistant ‘super-bugs’ in places such as hospitals and nursing homes.
“This use of our Nitralife nitrogen generator in a vital application such as this within the healthcare sector once again demonstrates the adaptability, convenience and accessibility of our on-site nitrogen generation,” adds Sowry.
“The cost-effectiveness, convenience, scalability and accessibility – together with high standards of nitrogen quality and purity – make Nitralife generators an obvious choice for continuous on-site nitrogen generation.
We are therefore very pleased to be able to be a supplier to Nannochem and play our own part in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 and other potentially deadly pathogens,” he concludes.
