WO2002064718A1 - Detergent for removing biofouling - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a detergent for destroying clusters or deposits of metabolites or dead physical constituents of bacteria and optionally other micro-organisms (biofouling), consisting of biodegradable toxic constituents. Said detergent comprises at least one food preservation agent and at least one non-toxic, especially organic, acid. Contrary to the destruction of living micro-organisms by poisoning their metabolic process, the invention focusses on the inanimate biofouling of said micro-organisms and the detrimental effects thereof, which do not form part of the standard disinfection process.

Description

_RE I _NIG UNGS _MI ttel FOR REMOVING biofouling

Microorganisms form slime layers - called "biofouling" - of different composition and thickness, in particular very small thickness, for example less than 1 μm, which on the one hand protects them against mechanical and chemical influences and on the other hand, by means of their sticky, strongly adhering consistency, either to one another or to their solids Allows the environment to adhere spontaneously, whereby the mucus, including the material of dead microorganisms, clumps like a mass to its environment, such as pipes, containers and surfaces, preferably also in angles and cracks or to rough surfaces and body parts of cell material of any kind, and thus considerable disadvantages causes.

Biofouling also adheres to all parts of plants and in the soil. Mixed with lime, iron (ocher) and other solids (fat deposits) as their crystallization base, it forms deposits of a solid conglomerate consistency. Biofouling also forms the basis of adhesion and the basis for fungi with their mycelia and spores and viruses, and is also food for all microorganisms.

Ocher-like biofouling sludges, coatings and microbial or bacterial components are also the basis of well building and the formation of deposits and blockages in the inlet capillaries in the ground and thus cause wells to dry up. In such mixed deposits, biofouling is at least partially the binding component. Biofouling chemically consists of comparatively complex components, which in particular have large macromolecules in the form of fibrous carbohydrates with acidic polysaccharides, in particular as disaccharides of N-acetyl-glucosamide-N-acetylmuramic acid, and glycoproteins, also in the form of polymers or with peptides. Lipoproteins can also play a role in viruses. The very thin, slippery biofouling slime layer is often only 15 μm or less, for example <0.3 μm, and can also be structured in several layers one above the other.

The adhesive and gelatinous, acidic polysaccharides can be visibly colored using ruthenium red. Such biofouling has been used in connection with practically all microbe species, e.g. Staphylococci, acinetobacter calcoaceticus, acotobacter ramosus and pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus faecalis, rhicobium trifolii, as well as all Phytophtera species, have been detected, with which only a few of the microbe species occurring in innumerable species are mentioned.

It has been found that chlorination or other common chemical treatment, e.g. Aldehyde or formaldehyde, as well as antibiotics - if at all - not or only insufficiently influences biofouling.

The various coverings or agglomerations based on biofouling bring considerable disadvantages both in the technical field, in particular also with water-permeable membranes, and in nature, such as in cracks, walls, biofilms, deposits in water and air (filter!). In nature, biofouling, e.g. in the soil at roots, provides survival protection for the microorganisms, in particular crop species-specific microbial deposits are created and biofouling deposits can impair the metabolic processes in plants, e.g. by narrowing the growth-important capillaries of plants and on rough ones Parts of plants nests for which bacteria or microbial populations are formed again and again. The coatings in pipes of old houses held together with biofouling are the nucleus of Legionella feared and also affect the heat transfer and the flow rate. Biofouling coverings on measuring and control instruments can also affect the functionality of the systems.

The previous cleaning agents used against biofouling with no or inadequate effect are not only ineffective, but also more or less highly toxic and, in particular, extremely harmful to the environment and ultimately uneconomical.

These disadvantages are surprisingly eliminated in all technical and natural situations or areas with the inventive use of a cleaning agent which, in aqueous solution, has up to several food preservatives and at least one non-toxic, in particular organic, acid, for example sorbic acid, Benzoic acid (Na benzoate) and / or succinic acid, possibly plus a very small amount of an oxidizing agent.

The cleaning agent is especially effective against biofouling. The more materials or media are exposed to constant contamination, which are continuously treated with conventional disinfectants, the more biofouling is produced continuously, which means that any new germs are favored accordingly.

For effective germ-free treatment, it is therefore essential that biofouling is constantly kept free.

Further embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are defined in claims 2 to 18.

From an economic point of view, it is particularly advantageous that the cleaning agent is surprisingly low in water (drinking water class 0) and as a moisture component in the air or in gases on biofouling, so that people can use it to destroy water the health of the air is not impaired, i.e. in low-germ air (Clean room air) remains fully functional even in the long term. According to the invention, the agent can also be added to the air in a proportion with which the air itself contributes to the degradation of existing biofouling in the room.

In addition, the completely non-toxic cleaning agent according to the invention has proven to be environmentally compatible and gentle on the mucous membrane, as well as being effective in eliminating odors and also eliminates signs of resistance. The existence of biofouling promotes spontaneous germ formation or nucleation, so that cleaning biofouling prevents it.

Surprisingly, the agent according to the invention has proven to have considerable economic advantages, for example, as a cleaning agent for use in the use of biofouling which effectively destroys, in particular also preventive, antimicrobial treatment

a) for the cleaning of biofouling contaminated or occupied objects or surfaces, including walls, rooms, ship hulls and the like;

b) when cleaning textiles or laundry, in particular hospital laundry, because the formation of biofouling normally makes this cleaning more difficult, since dust and dirt also adhere to it or remain enclosed therein. In the case of disinfection through metabolic poisoning, biofouling remains, which is again a favorable basis for new germs.

c) for cleaning raw cotton from biofouling. That the fibers of

Cotton-covering biofouling also contains the pesticides, fungicides and the like used in the cultivation of the cotton in the fields. By removing the biofouling, the cotton fibers are also cleaned of them.

d) For keeping cleaning and cosmetic and personal care articles or objects at risk of contamination, for example in the personal and beauty care sector, e) for the preventive and germ-free keeping of devices for food of all kinds, in particular for stockpiling and for packaging material of any kind therefor, e.g. also by adding in the production of cool ice and use as flake ice, as well as for preventive and germ-free keeping of ice and liquid donations or cooling ice

f) for the preventive and anti-germ treatment or keeping clean of fruit and other agricultural products, also in drying processes, especially in the open air.

g) In filters too, strong biofouling deposits form, which form pronounced brood nests for microorganisms, so that the passage cross-sections become clogged and constant, costly cleaning is required.

It is also particularly important that the cleaning agent is added to the supply medium (air, etc.) on the inlet side of the filter so that the filter cannot get clogged at all. If the agent with the filter cleanliness is not completely used up, then it affects the rooms behind the filter outlet, for example by keeping the rooms clean, channels etc. Since the agent is completely non-toxic and naturally degradable, it does not need to be removed.

A typical example are drinking water production plants, in which the cleaning agent or cleaning agent is added on the supply side and keep the pores free of biofouling when they flow through the membranes, and at the same time the containers and pipes and fittings arranged downstream. It is particularly advantageous that the agent remains effective in an extremely low concentration during ongoing use, so that the downstream flow area also remains sufficiently cleaned of biofouling;

h) for the preventive and germ-free keeping of water purification systems, as well as for industrial and waste water; i) for the preventive-germ-adverse keeping clean of water-bearing systems such as wells, containers, pipes, swimming pools and the like, including cleaning them, in particular also in the beverage and agricultural sectors (eg dairies);

j) for preventive, anti-germ treatment or keeping clean, in particular of devices for aqueous industrial liquids;

k) for the preventive, anti-germ treatment or maintenance of soil, seeds and plants, plants and trees, including the tree root area.

When water is sucked from the ground by the plants, in particular perennials and trees, by means of roots, rhizomes, branches and twigs through their capillaries, the microorganisms are transported through these capillaries and form deposits from biofouling. This narrows the free cross-sections, particularly in the case of foam-forming microorganisms, such as Molds (Phytophtera and other mold types) so that plants and trees are insufficiently supplied with moisture and trunks and branches become too dry. Conversely, by systematically keeping the capillaries clear, particularly good growth with a particularly favorable harvest is achieved, e.g. for grapes.

I) for the preventive, germ-free keeping of devices for slaughterhouse waste water and their systems and the like;

m) for the preventive and anti-germ treatment of all types of towels and paper, such as diapers, cleaning wipes, handkerchiefs;

n) for the preventive, anti-germ treatment or maintenance of air and its systems, such as pipes for ventilation, air conditioning, walls and equipment for mass production stables, as well as processing plants; the air with the cleaning agent contained as an aerosol acts as such bio-fouling cleaning. o) Other uses of keeping clean by destroying biofouling also destroy the existence and genus of microorganisms and also remove limescale in an aqueous medium, since flexible biofouling with its excellent binding or adhesive properties increases the strength and adhesion of limescale deposits flexible way increased.

It is particularly advantageous that the treatment with the agent according to the invention removes the adhesive and binding effect of the biofouling, so that parts of the decomposition can only be rinsed away.

For the effect of the agent according to the invention or its use, it is irrelevant from which microbes or bacteria the dead material or the biofouling to be destroyed comes from, so that with its destruction, the biofouling of a very wide variety of different bacteria, viruses and others Microorganisms is detected.

Claims

claims 1. Cleaning agent for destroying agglomerations or deposits of metabolic products or dead body components from bacteria and possibly other microorganisms (biofouling) from biodegradable toxic components, which contains at least one food preservative and at least one non-toxic, especially organic , Has acid. 2. Cleaning agent according to claim 1, which has a combination with at least one or more compounds from the group of the compounds citric acid, sorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid and / or acetylsalicylic acid or their derivatives, with at least one food preservative, such as benzoic acid and its derivatives , such as sorbic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, peracetic acid, salicylic acid, succinic acid, acetylsalicylic acid and L-ascorbic acid, as well as sodium benzoate, hydroxybenzoic acid, formic acid, propionic acid and its derivatives / or mixtures and salts and esters and salts and esters and salts and esters and salts and esters and mixtures, esters and salts and esters and salts and esters and salts and esters and mixtures and esters and salts and esters and mixtures and esters and salts and esters and mixtures and esters and salts and esters there the same. 3. Cleaning agent according to claim 1 or characterized in that it contains a proportion of an oxidizing agent such as a per compound such as hydrogen superoxide or ozone and / or from e.g. a peroxide such as sodium, potassium, calcium or a derivative of a peracid such as perborate, perphosphate, percarbonate or a strongly oxidizing compound such as a permanganate. 4. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it contains alkali metal salts or peroxy phosphates, in particular the sodium and / or potassium salt, and / or ammonium salt or the esters, in particular, for example, methyl, ethyl or Propyl or isopropyl ester, for example peroxo-monophosphoric acid (with anion PO ₅ ^{3 "} ) or peroxodisphosphoric acid (with anion POs ^3" ) - 5. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has salts of peroxybenzoic acid, in particular the sodium and / or potassium and / or ammonium salt or a corresponding ester. 6. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by 0.05-10 g, preferably 0.2-6 g, and particularly preferably 0.3-4 g sodium benzoate and 01-10 g, preferably 0.2-5 g and particularly preferably 0.3-4 g sorbic acid per liter water. 7. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that citric acid up to 1 to 25 wt .-% of its total amount is replaced by L-ascorbic acid and / or acetylsalicylic acid. 8. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a content of <8% sodium benzoate, <4% succinic and / or sorbic acid, <2% ascorbic acid and / or acetylsalicylic acid, the aforementioned components also in part, also mixed with one another, and 15 % 30% hydrogen superoxide (medical grade). 9. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the organic acids are saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acids with 1-4 C atoms, preferably 1-12 C atoms. 10. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims in an aqueous solution of 15-0.03 g and less dry matter agent, preferably 10-0.1 g, in particular 8-0.1 g dry agent agent per liter of water. 11. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the combination of 50 to 80 wt .-%, preferably 55 to 70% by weight, in particular 60 to 65% by weight of citric acid, 20 to 50% by weight, preferably 30 to 45% by weight, in particular 35 to 40% by weight of a solid peroxo compound, and 0.3 to 1% by weight of a food preservative, the sum of all percentages being 100 in each case. 12. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims with 0.001-16%, preferably 12%, in particular 10% by volume of H ₂ O ₂ per liter of water, and optionally stabilizers for the peroxide compound. 13. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solution has an acidic pH between about 2 and 7. 14. Detergent, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by 0.1 to 5% of one or more surfactants selected from the group consisting of non-toxic anionic and non-anionic surfactants, soaps, fatty acid aminocarboxylic acid condensates, alkylbenzoisulfenates, fatty acid esters, sulfated fatty acid glycerides, betaines, sulfobetaines, saponids, fatty acid esters of polyalcohols, oxyethylated fatty acids etc., and in particular Sodium dodecyl sulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfate. 15. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a water-soluble silver salt is added to it in a proportion of preferably less than 0.2% of the dry matter. 16. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a degreasing agent is added to it. 17. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is in microencapsulated form. 18. Cleaning agent according to one of the preceding claims, for cleaning and maintaining pure biofouling-soiled or -covered objects and surfaces, including walls, rooms, ship hulls and the like.