TEHRAN – Iranian researchers have succeeded in developing eco-friendly disinfectants based on natural resources to address the health hazards and pollution risks of synthetic disinfectants amid coronavirus, ISNA reported on Monday.

The disinfectants with the virtue of nonhazardous nature and biodegradability are produced by a team of chemists of Amirkabir University of Technology.

With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, demand for disinfectants has increased dramatically; the novel coronavirus has prompted many people to use more cleansers and disinfectants in their daily lives to keep themselves safe, Mehran Javanbakht, Faculty of Chemistry at Amirkabir University.

He went on to note that while effective at killing germs, disinfectants can build up levels of toxic chemicals over time that will reduce indoor air quality; when they contain anthropogenic substances, they can irritate the eyes and skin, and increase the risk of respiratory and central nervous system disorders and cancer. 

Washing these accumulated toxins away can pollute groundwater and soil, he added.

The idea of producing disinfectants effective on harmful microorganisms especially the new coronavirus, based on natural and non-toxic substances, led our company to conduct extensive studies in this field to prepare three green disinfectants based on natural materials, he explained.

According to Javanbakht, these disinfectants do not leave any harmful substances after use.

SDC technology

An eco-friendly disinfectant based on silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) technology, which, unlike other disinfectants, stabilizes silver ions along with citric acid, has a double effect on antiseptic properties.

This green technology is monopolized by only 3 countries in the world and due to the high global demand for green disinfectants, which has also been approved by EPA and FDA, the country can benefit from the export opportunity, he highlighted.

These products are also based on the latest global health protocols and contain completely non-toxic active ingredients and are classified as green products, he noted, emphasizing, on the other hand, the results of microbiological tests in the reference and trusted laboratories of the Ministry of Health showed that the disinfectants are effective on a wide range of microorganisms.

SDC-based disinfectant kills the coronavirus within two minutes and has a protective effect on the spot for up to 24 hours, he highlighted.

The company's third green product is based on the natural substance lactic acid and is produced in the country for the first time, he noted, adding, the product is designed and prepared for disinfecting fruits and vegetables and does not require rinsing after washing according to international protocols.

While green products are more expensive in the world than similar products, with the domestic production of 3 eco-friendly disinfectants, we are able to offer these products at a price even lower than similar products in the world, he concluded.

Mehdi Kashmiri, director for technology and planning at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, said in early July that about 450 knowledge-based companies are active in the country for manufacturing protective equipment and treatment products to fight the coronavirus.

“Production of more than one million face masks per day, over 1.5 liters of disinfectants per day, diagnostic kits, non-contact thermometers, protective clothing, ventilator are among the produces manufactured by these companies,” he stated.

He added that 150 companies are active in the field of hospital equipment production.

Besides, manufacturers have multiplied their production capacity and researchers have achieved the technology to produce three kinds of COVID-19 diagnostic kits that hit the market.

The number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in Iran reached 276,202 on Monday, of whom 14,405 have died and 240,087 recovered so far. Over the past 24 hours, 2,414 new cases of people having the virus have been identified, and 217 died, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.

Currently, 3,583 patients with coronavirus are in critical condition, she added.

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