SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE SOLUTION

Specification For Sodium Hypochlorite Solution

Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl), also known as "hypo" or "bleach", is a worldwide used and trusted water disinfectant. It is recognised as having an unsurpassed disinfection spectrum and to be the most effective broad range disinfectant against all known pathogenic (disease-producing) bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Daily, millions of people around the world depend on properly chlorinated water for drinking and other purposes. There is no better, cost-effective and versatile "residual" disinfectant.
Sodium Hypochlorite is available in the form of -

COMMERCIAL HYPO (10% to 14%)
DOMESTIC BLEACH (5%)
ELECTRO HYPO (0.2% to 0.8%)
Sodium Hypochlorite is a greenish-yellow liquid commonly referred to as "bleach." It is formed by reacting chlorine with sodium hydroxide:
The chemical compound formula for Sodium Hypochlorite is NaOCl.
Cl2 +2NaOH = NaOCL + NaCl + H2O
The terms to define the sodium Hypochlorite strength commonly used in the industry are as follows:

• Grams Per Liter of Available Chlorine
• Grams Per Liter of Sodium Hypochlorite
• Trade Percent of Available Chlorine
• Weight Percent of Available Chlorine
• Weight Percent of Sodium Hypochlorite

Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl), typically supplied as a pale greenish liquid, is also known as soda bleach or liquid bleach. It is prepared by reacting dilute caustic soda solution with liquid or gaseous chlorine, accompanied by cooling. Sodium Hypochlorite, or bleach, is the main ingredient in laundry bleach and it is used extensively as a bleaching agent in the textile, detergents, and paper and pulp industries. .

Sodium Hypochlorite Solutions are Excellent Disinfectants and are well known as chlorine-based disinfectants. These compounds when diluted in water form hypochlorous acid. This acid is extremely effective against many types of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Sodium Hypochlorites are also incorporated into some cleaning agents e.g. Titan. The Hypochlorite contains approximately 7% to 8 % liquid chlorine which

• Is used as a disinfectant for dealing with the viral infections.
• May be incorporated into non-abrasive cleansing agents which may be used for environmental disinfection of hard surfaces i.e. baths or sinks.
• Acts rapidly by the release of available chlorine.
• Solutions are unstable at use-dilutions and must therefore be stored according to pharmaceutical recommendations and used before the expiry date.
• They are inactivated by organic matter particularly if used in low concentrations.
• Incompatible with cationic detergents.
• Diluted solutions are unstable and should be freshly prepared daily, decomposition is accelerated by light, heat and heavy metal.
• Chlorinated disinfectants are corrosive to metal, rubber and similar components on prolonged contact, or if used at the incorrect dilution.
  

Chlorine-based disinfectants are the only disinfectants that provide a residual in the distribution system. This residual is an important part of the multi-barrier approach to preventing waterborne disease. The increasing need for groundwater systems to disinfect may actually increase the use of chlorine for drinking water disinfection.

According to the World Health Organization, disinfection by chlorine is still the best guarantee of microbiologically safe water (WHO Regional Office for Europe, Drinking Water Disinfection). This is unlikely to change in the near future.

Life itself depends on chlorine and its extraordinary ability to react with other elements. Chlorinated compounds occur naturally in humans and are found in blood, skin and teeth. Even white blood cells need chlorine to enable them to fight off infections. In nature, chlorine is even more plentiful than carbon. It occurs in both plants and animals and makes up 2.9% of the world's oceans and 0.045% of the earth's crust.

When added to water in minute quantities, it quickly kills bacteria and other microbes. It has the major advantage of ensuring clean water right up to the tap, whereas the action of other disinfectants such as ozone, ultraviolet light and ultrafiltration - is only temporary.

An operational protocol must be in place in your SOP and include ‘how to use’ instructions for an appropriate disinfectant.
Effective disinfectants are recommended on each MSDS.
"DISINFECTING WITH SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE"
Household Bleach (5.25% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite, NaOCl) is widely recommended as a disinfectant to inactivate viruses and bacteria.
The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following dilutions of concentrations of Sod. Hypochlorite for the:

Inactivation of HIV & Hepatitis B
Sodium Hypochlorite Solution Diluted 1:10 @ 0.50% NaOCl (5,000 ppm)
(1:10 refers to one part of Sodium Hypo to 10 parts of Water)

Routine wipe down of surfaces:
Bleach diluted 1:100 @ 0.05% Sod. Hypochlorite (NaOCl) (500 ppm)
Health Canada recommends for Biohazard Spills:

• Hypochlorite Solution diluted 1:5 @ 1.0% Sod. Hypochlorite NaOCl (10,000 ppm)
• Biohazard Spill - Gently cover the spill with absorbent paper towel and apply 1% sodium   hypochlorite, starting at the perimeter and working towards the centre.
• Full strength Of Sodium Hypochlorite looses most of it’s activity in six months at room temperature. The rate of break down accelerates rapidly at low dilutions. Therefore, working dilutions should be prepared daily.

Household bleaches contain sodium hypochlorite; the free chlorine concentration is 5.25%. This is equivalent to 52,000 ppm. Dilutions of 1 to 10 are frequently used in laboratories. This provides 5,200 ppm of available chlorine. A 1 to 20 dilution (2500 ppm) may be used for routine disinfection when negligible amounts of organic material are present (such as disinfecting benchtops). Concentrations up to 10,000 ppm (1 to 5 dilution) may be used for heavy organic contamination. Hypochlorites are effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses and are most commonly used for instrument soaks, spill response, work surfaces, and liquids to be discarded.