Aerosol VS irrigation: which is better, and is there a difference?

Aerosols are an extensive topic, however, in this material we will touch on fine aerosols used to disinfect rooms, and also try to clarify the confusion with the terms “aerosol treatment” and “irrigation”.



Let us immediately explain that, when mentioning “irrigation”, we mean spraying drops of liquid in the air, and not agricultural reclamation channels.

Aerosol disinfection is based on the principle of converting a liquid disinfectant - a disinfectant - into a fine aerosol.

Aerosols are often classified according to their formation methods, concentration, particle size and a number of other parameters. For us, the method of formation is important - namely, dispersion, as well as the dispersion itself or the size of the aerosol particles. Dispersion directly affects the penetration of aerosols and the quality of disinfection, as a result.


indiamart.com

Dispersion can be different. The smallest and most effective ranges from 3.5 to 10 microns. Such an aerosol has its own marketing name “dry fog” or in Russian “dry fog”. There is no official definition of the term “dry fog”, and this formulation is used differently by different manufacturers, however, there are basic properties of such aerosols.

Why dry?

The fact is that the particle size of the “dry fog” is so small that the usual “wet” effect is absent, and in the air such an aerosol looks like an ordinary fog. The concept of the method is not to create a humid environment. In addition to “dry fog”, aerosols, of course, also have another dispersion: particles can vary in size, for example, 10-50 microns.


eastidahonews.com / Local business using fog treatment to fight COVID-19 at courthouse, other facilities.

What about irrigation?

Most often, irrigation is understood as spraying, the particles of which vary between 50-100 microns, which is much larger than that of the same "dry fog". Under such conditions, which is quite obvious, a humid environment is formed and there is no escape from the “wet” effect.





Methods that can be defined as irrigation are used in various fields. For example , in medicine, to remove various products of inflammation (pus, toxins, etc.), to suppress the vital activity of microflora, to stimulate tissue regeneration processes, and to wash out small foreign bodies. Irrigation is used in agriculture, horticulture, etc.

Since rather large and heavy drops form during irrigation, they do not stay in the air for a long time and simply are not able to fill evenly the entire volume of the treated room. Fine aerosols have a different picture: the possibility of using “mists” for air disinfection is one of their advantages.

The article Evaluation of a Dry Fogging System for Laboratory Decontamination provides an analysis with the following conclusions that, since the particle size of the “dry fog” is so small and “wet”, this method is safe even for electronics and can be used for disinfection in various laboratory rooms with electronic equipment.

Various aerosols are used for disinfection not only in medicine, but also in other areas. Among them, for example, is the food industry.


sealpump.com


kirinoikeuchi.co.jp / People or objects will not get wet when using fine mist.


sealpump.com / The diagram illustrates the importance of droplet size for particle agglomeration. The air flow around a large drop of water (left) prevents dust from entering the drop itself. With a smaller droplet size (right) this does not happen.



dustcontroltech.com


dryfog.co.kr / Dry Fog System in Green House

Recently there has also been an increase in interest in such poultry disinfection methods. Here, one of the main tasks is to obtain a good uniform distribution of the active substance in the treated room, as well as the processing of hard-to-reach spots.


pulsfog.de

The use of fine aerosols is also assessed as a more economical solution for processing large areas, for example, houses. The use of the minimum required amount of disinfectant promises less labor costs and optimizes the overall cost of disinfection.