With heightened awareness about cleanliness in midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, farmers have been as vigilant as every other resident and business in keeping their operations clean.
But when it comes to farms, there are different — and more widespread — risks. This is, after all, our source of local food. Since the pandemic, several processing plants have been forced to close for extended periods for deep cleaning, and some agriculture organizations have adopted new procedures and guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting around the farm.
However, cleaning and disinfecting is one thing. Cleaning and disinfecting properly, using the right products and proper procedures, is something else entirely.
“It is vitally important that farms not only practice heightened cleaning measures, but do so in a way that is effective without harming any livestock or causing undue and long-term damage to important pieces of farm equipment and machinery,” says Dr. Lucas Pantaleon, a technical veterinary advisor with Ogena Solutions. “Many of the chemicals and solvents approved for use are not only less effective than other options, but they can cause long-term damage to expensive pieces equipment, be harmful to both users and animals and are environmentally hazardous.” Historically, hydrogen peroxide and chlorine have been used as disinfectants in agricultural settings. But despite their common and widespread use, these are both harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to animals and users, farm equipment and the environment. For example, farmers may be using a solution that is 35% hydrogen peroxide, which can cause corrosion in equipment and be harmful to skin. In fact, personal protection equipment must be worn when using it. Similarly chlorine based products can be very corrosive to stainless steel and also require the use of PPE when applying.
The benefits of hydrogen peroxide or chlorine as disinfectants without the risks can be found in Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide. It uses just a fraction of hydrogen peroxide (less than 1%) blended with a stabilizing solution of common ingredients to create a potent germicide and cleaner, that isn’t damaging to most equipment and is safe for use around livestock. The in-use dilution doesn't require the use of any personal protective equipment, and it is harmless to the environment.
Manufactured by Virox Technologies in Canada under the brand name Prevail, Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide is used safely in veterinary settings as a cleaner, disinfectant and deodorizer.
“Selecting the ideal disinfectant requires more than just focusing on what the product kills,” says Dr. Pantaleon. “You should also focus on the cleaning efficiency, germicidal activity, occupational health and safety and environmental impact. Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide formulations have been designed with these criteria in mind.”
For a list of distributors of Prevail Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide, please visitogenasolutions.com. You will find them in the “Products” tab, under “Chemistry.”
Follow Ogena Solutions on Twitter @OgenaSolutions and Facebook at /OgenaSolutions.
