Infection Control & Water Purification Using ... Bleach
Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:53 pm
Dr. Gratton Woodson
Excerpted from The Bird Flu Manual By Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP, which can now be purchased on Amazon.
Infection Control and Water Purification Using Household Bleach
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!
Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, kills viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, and protozoa on contact by denaturing their vital proteins. Bleach is effective, inexpensive and widely available making it a good choice for use as a disinfectant and purifier.(1) Unscented household bleach is recommended because they can be used for water purification, disinfection, and cleaning. In the US, household bleach usually contains 6% sodium hypochlorite.
Caution when using bleach
When using bleach, be very careful. It will burn any exposed bodily tissue it comes into contact with. The skin, respiratory tract and especially the eye are the tissues usually damaged by careless use of bleach. Even the diluted bleach solutions recommended for use here can cause damage. Use a mask, gloves and eye protection to avoid getting the solution on your skin, clothes, in your eyes, or inhaling it, as this will cause chemical irritation or burns. The simple treatment for bleach exposure is washing it off with water.
It is important to use bleach in a well-ventilated area. Toxic chlorine fumes are released by bleach. These can damage the tissue lining the nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs if inhaled so avoid this. The more highly concentrated the bleach, the more fumes released. Use cold water to dilute the bleach because hot water promotes its breakdown releasing more fumes.
Mixing bleach with other cleaners can lead to release of even more toxic fumes. For instance to combination of bleach and ammonia produces phosgene gas; used as a chemical warfare agent during WW I. For this reason, do not mix bleach with other cleaners or chemicals.
Treatment for exposure to bleach
If you get bleach on you, wash it off with copious amounts of clean water. Thoroughly rise the skin or eye that comes into contact with bleach. This will remove the bleach. Washing should be done as quickly as possible because the bleach will damage tissue as long as it remains in contact with it. It takes a few minutes of washing to get the bleach off. If bleach gets into your eye, wash it for even longer.
If bleach fumes get into the nose or back of the throat, irrigate the area using a salt and soda nasal wash (¼-tsp salt + ¼-tsp backing soda + 1-cup water) using an ear bulb syringe or just inhaling the solution from a cupped palm. There is no treatment for burned bronchial tubes or lungs except rest. A steam tent might help and cough medicine may help. The patient will recover in a few days but often have breathing difficulty and can be in pain with breathing over this time.
Bleach decomposes with time
Bleach decomposes by releasing toxic chlorine gas with time. Exposure to air and sunlight speed its breakdown. Store bleach in opaque containers, keep the top on tight, and don’t open a new container of bleach until it is needed. Once bleach is mixed with water, it will deteriorate quickly; so don’t make more of the solution than you will need for use over the next week or so.
Cleaning contaminated surfaces and objects using bleach
Tools and equipment
Before cleaning, get all necessary tools and equipment ready. These include bleach, a spray bottle, measuring cup, measuring spoons, gloves, eye protection, an apron to protect your clothes, a bucket of clean water, and a sponge or towel. If you plan to clean a floor, then a mop will be needed as well. Even diluted bleach solution will burn a hole in or ruin the color of clothing. If you spill or splash the bleach solution on your clothing, place them in water quickly and you may be able to prevent significant damage.
Preparing bleach solution for cleaning and disinfection
Dilute as follows for cleaning: (2)
1:100 solutions are used for general household cleaning of surfaces.
½ tsp bleach to 1-cup of water (2.5 ml bleach to 250 ml water)
2 tsp bleach to 1-quart water (10 ml bleach to 1000 ml water)
3 tbsp bleach to 1-gallon of water (100ml bleach to 10 liters water)
1:50 bleach solutions are used for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with bodily fluids and waste like vomit, diarrhea, mucus, blood, or feces.
1 tsp bleach to 1-cup water (5 ml bleach to 250 ml water)
4 tsp bleach to 1-quart water (20 ml bleach to 1000 ml water)
6 tbsp bleach to 1-gallon water (200 ml bleach to 10 liters water)
Procedure for disinfecting a contaminated surface or object
To use the bleach solution for disinfecting a surface or object, first wipe up the area with a towel and clean it with soap and water to remove the gross fluids, matter, or dirt. Then spray the appropriate solution on the surfaces or materials or wipe it on with a towel or sponge. Thoroughly wet the entire contaminated area with the bleach solution and let it sit undisturbed for 30 minutes. Wipe the remaining solution off the surface with a moist towel or rinse it off with clean water. Now the area or article is clean and free of contamination.
Disinfecting large containers for drinking water storage
First wash your container thoroughly using soap and water. Use a plastic bristle brush to remove any particulate matter adhered to the inside container surface. A high-pressure spray washer is also useful for this task. Thoroughly rinse all soap from the container.
Spray or wipe the inside of the container with the 1:50 bleach solution. Be careful to drench all internal surfaces of the container including the lid or top. Repeat this step every 15 minutes twice more.
Allow the disinfecting solution to sit in the container for 1 hour then discard it. Do not rinse the container with water after decontamination because this reintroduces new contaminates. The container is ready for use. It can be filled immediately after decontamination or the top can be secured and it can be filled later. If latter, repeat the use of the bleach disinfecting steps just prior to filling the containers with water.
Water purification methods
Unscented household bleach
Plain unscented household bleach (6% sodium hypochlorite) is the most practical way to purify a large quantity of water. For adults the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends adding 1/8th tsp of household bleach to each gallon of drinking water to get rid of virus, mold, fungi, bacteria and protozoa.(3) This treatment is not safe for infants until it has been run through a good filter. Allow the water to sit for 30 minutes after adding the bleach before using it.(4)
________________________________________
• 1The sources used for this article include the Hong Kong Department of Health and the FEMA.
• 2All measures are approximations rather than strictly accurate. These dilutions work well for the stated purpose with a large margin of error permissible in the concentration of bleach.
• 3From the FEMA Website
• 4Excerpted from The Bird Flu Manual
Excerpted from The Bird Flu Manual By Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP, which can now be purchased on Amazon.
Infection Control and Water Purification Using Household Bleach
* Link Unavailable. This site is no longer active and available to view on line. But the info was good and we wanted to keep sharing it!
Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, kills viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, and protozoa on contact by denaturing their vital proteins. Bleach is effective, inexpensive and widely available making it a good choice for use as a disinfectant and purifier.(1) Unscented household bleach is recommended because they can be used for water purification, disinfection, and cleaning. In the US, household bleach usually contains 6% sodium hypochlorite.
Caution when using bleach
When using bleach, be very careful. It will burn any exposed bodily tissue it comes into contact with. The skin, respiratory tract and especially the eye are the tissues usually damaged by careless use of bleach. Even the diluted bleach solutions recommended for use here can cause damage. Use a mask, gloves and eye protection to avoid getting the solution on your skin, clothes, in your eyes, or inhaling it, as this will cause chemical irritation or burns. The simple treatment for bleach exposure is washing it off with water.
It is important to use bleach in a well-ventilated area. Toxic chlorine fumes are released by bleach. These can damage the tissue lining the nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs if inhaled so avoid this. The more highly concentrated the bleach, the more fumes released. Use cold water to dilute the bleach because hot water promotes its breakdown releasing more fumes.
Mixing bleach with other cleaners can lead to release of even more toxic fumes. For instance to combination of bleach and ammonia produces phosgene gas; used as a chemical warfare agent during WW I. For this reason, do not mix bleach with other cleaners or chemicals.
Treatment for exposure to bleach
If you get bleach on you, wash it off with copious amounts of clean water. Thoroughly rise the skin or eye that comes into contact with bleach. This will remove the bleach. Washing should be done as quickly as possible because the bleach will damage tissue as long as it remains in contact with it. It takes a few minutes of washing to get the bleach off. If bleach gets into your eye, wash it for even longer.
If bleach fumes get into the nose or back of the throat, irrigate the area using a salt and soda nasal wash (¼-tsp salt + ¼-tsp backing soda + 1-cup water) using an ear bulb syringe or just inhaling the solution from a cupped palm. There is no treatment for burned bronchial tubes or lungs except rest. A steam tent might help and cough medicine may help. The patient will recover in a few days but often have breathing difficulty and can be in pain with breathing over this time.
Bleach decomposes with time
Bleach decomposes by releasing toxic chlorine gas with time. Exposure to air and sunlight speed its breakdown. Store bleach in opaque containers, keep the top on tight, and don’t open a new container of bleach until it is needed. Once bleach is mixed with water, it will deteriorate quickly; so don’t make more of the solution than you will need for use over the next week or so.
Cleaning contaminated surfaces and objects using bleach
Tools and equipment
Before cleaning, get all necessary tools and equipment ready. These include bleach, a spray bottle, measuring cup, measuring spoons, gloves, eye protection, an apron to protect your clothes, a bucket of clean water, and a sponge or towel. If you plan to clean a floor, then a mop will be needed as well. Even diluted bleach solution will burn a hole in or ruin the color of clothing. If you spill or splash the bleach solution on your clothing, place them in water quickly and you may be able to prevent significant damage.
Preparing bleach solution for cleaning and disinfection
Dilute as follows for cleaning: (2)
1:100 solutions are used for general household cleaning of surfaces.
½ tsp bleach to 1-cup of water (2.5 ml bleach to 250 ml water)
2 tsp bleach to 1-quart water (10 ml bleach to 1000 ml water)
3 tbsp bleach to 1-gallon of water (100ml bleach to 10 liters water)
1:50 bleach solutions are used for disinfecting surfaces contaminated with bodily fluids and waste like vomit, diarrhea, mucus, blood, or feces.
1 tsp bleach to 1-cup water (5 ml bleach to 250 ml water)
4 tsp bleach to 1-quart water (20 ml bleach to 1000 ml water)
6 tbsp bleach to 1-gallon water (200 ml bleach to 10 liters water)
Procedure for disinfecting a contaminated surface or object
To use the bleach solution for disinfecting a surface or object, first wipe up the area with a towel and clean it with soap and water to remove the gross fluids, matter, or dirt. Then spray the appropriate solution on the surfaces or materials or wipe it on with a towel or sponge. Thoroughly wet the entire contaminated area with the bleach solution and let it sit undisturbed for 30 minutes. Wipe the remaining solution off the surface with a moist towel or rinse it off with clean water. Now the area or article is clean and free of contamination.
Disinfecting large containers for drinking water storage
First wash your container thoroughly using soap and water. Use a plastic bristle brush to remove any particulate matter adhered to the inside container surface. A high-pressure spray washer is also useful for this task. Thoroughly rinse all soap from the container.
Spray or wipe the inside of the container with the 1:50 bleach solution. Be careful to drench all internal surfaces of the container including the lid or top. Repeat this step every 15 minutes twice more.
Allow the disinfecting solution to sit in the container for 1 hour then discard it. Do not rinse the container with water after decontamination because this reintroduces new contaminates. The container is ready for use. It can be filled immediately after decontamination or the top can be secured and it can be filled later. If latter, repeat the use of the bleach disinfecting steps just prior to filling the containers with water.
Water purification methods
Unscented household bleach
Plain unscented household bleach (6% sodium hypochlorite) is the most practical way to purify a large quantity of water. For adults the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends adding 1/8th tsp of household bleach to each gallon of drinking water to get rid of virus, mold, fungi, bacteria and protozoa.(3) This treatment is not safe for infants until it has been run through a good filter. Allow the water to sit for 30 minutes after adding the bleach before using it.(4)
________________________________________
• 1The sources used for this article include the Hong Kong Department of Health and the FEMA.
• 2All measures are approximations rather than strictly accurate. These dilutions work well for the stated purpose with a large margin of error permissible in the concentration of bleach.
• 3From the FEMA Website
• 4Excerpted from The Bird Flu Manual